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Game of the Week: D2 Sacramento Solons at Ft. Worth Cats, April 22, 2039
So Long Solons: Razo Sends Sacramento Packing With First Career No-Hitter in 7-0 Cats Win
Hector Razo has arrived in Division 2: Ft. Worth’s new ace dropped a sterling no-hit, 11 strikeout performance on Sacramento as the Cats cruised to a 7-0 win.
Though Yusuke Konda looked sharper than Razo in the first, striking out three while Razo nearly allowed a hit in the first. In the second, though, Razo got through the second on an economical 8 pitches, and Ft. Worth struck its first blow, with a two run homer by DH Mike McGurkin. Lorenzo Tapia hit another two run bomb in the third to score Moeller, while Razo remained perfect the first time through Sacramento’s order. Gregg Gaddis broke up the perfect game, reaching on an error by Aaron Hylton in the 4th, but Razo set down the side otherwise. He was perfect in the fifth as well, and that’s when people started to really notice.
SS Yukinobu Hasegawa hit the Cats’ third two run shot in the bottom of the fifth and his teammates scored another on a series of singles, s with a low-pressure 7-0 score behind him, Razo came out for the sixth. The only real mistake of his night came on a four pitch walk to Randy Foti, and he cruised from there, striking out the side in a 1-2-3 seventh and striking out two more in a 1-2-3 eighth. The ninth started scarily for Ft. Worth, as Aaron Hylton - who had arguably saved the no-hitter before it began with a great play in the first - made his second error, allowing Curtis Shorter to reach to lead off. But Razo was unflappable: He struck out Randy Foti on a devastating changeup that buckled the hitter’s knees, and then got Gregg Gaddis on a sharp grounder to third. Danny Dautel stepped to the plate and offered at a first-pitch cutter; he didn’t get it squared up, and lifted it lightly to right, where it settled into Angelo Torres’ glove for the final out. Razo threw his arms in the air, then caught C Russ Michael, who leapt into his arms ahead of the pile - a great early moment for a young, hungry team, and a feather in the cap of one of the game’s most accomplished pitchers.
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