LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chicago Cubs right-hander Zach Davies has a no-hitter through six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
Davies issued five walks and used 94 pitches, but still managed to keep the defending World Series champions without a hit in the 16th start of his first season with the Cubs.
He bounced back sharply after yielding a career-high eight runs in his last start against Miami. Those eight runs matched the number he had allowed in his previous six starts combined, and he regained his excellent form at Dodger Stadium.
Davies has never thrown a complete game in his seven-year major league career, which began with five seasons in Milwaukee before he moved to San Diego last year.
Davies still had control issues in Chavez Ravine, however. He walked two batters in the first before getting Albert Pujols to ground out to end it.
He walked the leadoff batter in the third and fourth, but avoided any other trouble. The fifth inning was his first 1-2-3 frame, and he retired the Dodgers in order in the sixth as well.
The Dodgers got closest to a hit in the first inning when Chris Taylor’s line drive to center was caught by Rafael Ortega.
The Cubs have 16 no-hitters in franchise history. Alec Mills threw a no-no last September against Milwaukee.
The Dodgers haven’t been no-hit since Aug. 30, 2015, when the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta did it at Dodger Stadium. Arrieta is scheduled to pitch for Chicago on Friday night.
Six no-hitters have been thrown in the majors already this year, but none since May 19. The Boston Red Sox took a bid for a combined no-hitter into the eighth inning earlier Thursday, but lost the no-no and the game at Tampa Bay.
The Cubs led 3-0 after six innings. Javier Báez homered off Walker Buehler in the first inning for Chicago, and Willson Contreras added a two-run shot in the sixth.
Buehler’s streak of 30 consecutive appearances without a loss since Sept. 21, 2019 — including 23 straight regular season starts — was in serious jeopardy. Buehler still made it through six innings for the 15th time this season and the 17th straight time overall dating to last year’s championship playoff run.
Buehler took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his most recent start in Arizona last weekend.
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