Black Sox Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
Think of it as a trip back to the 2030s.
Black Sox starting pitcher Juan Nicto pitched a no-hitter on May 19 against the Nashville Bluebirds in a game that seemed reminiscent of his glory days in the mid- to late 2030s when he was the unquestioned staff ace.
No-No Nicto
“I feel good – like any day I could get back to where I was,” Nicto said. “But it never quite seems to come together.”
Until, that is, May 19 in Nashville.
That evening, Nicto came within one walk – an 8th inning pass on a 3-2 count to Bluebirds designated hitter Mario Guerrer – of a perfect game.
As it was, though, he still made the team history books by finishing out his no-hitter, the first in the BBA this season. Nicto needed just 88 pitches to finish out the game, in which he pitched 9 scoreless innings with no hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. The Sox won the game 2-0.
Black Sox Manager Julián Negrete said he wasn’t even fully aware of Nicto’s gem until late in the game.
"Honestly, I didn't even know the situation was what it was until the seventh inning," Negrete said. "I happened to look up there to see how many hits we had gotten, and I happened to notice that they hadn't gotten any."
Nicto, of course, was mobbed by his teammates when Nashville 2B Jesús Yan lined out to left fielder José Figueroa to end the game.
“It felt good, I’m not gonna lie,” Nicto said. “It felt like the glory days.”
Looked like them, too.