Toronto Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios spoke about his game after narrowly missing out on a no-hitter.
In an interview following the Blue Jays’ 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., on Friday, Berrios reflected on his outing (7 2/3 innings, three hits, one walk, five strikeouts).
“When I was warming up in the bullpen, my breaking ball wasn’t good, but the rest of my pitches were good, so I was confident, believing in myself, and I stuck to my game plan,” he said.
On the day, Berrios tossed four perfect innings and held a no-hitter until he gave up a single to lead off the seventh inning to Adley Lutzman. It was the longest no-hitter attempt by a Toronto pitcher since Ross Stripling took a no-hitter into the sixth inning last August.
“I knew (it was a no-hitter) in the sixth inning,” he said, adding that he didn’t realize until later that he was challenging the record. “I didn’t have a lot of pitches, so I thought I could keep throwing,” he said.
When he gave up his first hit in the seventh inning, he said, “It was just business as usual. That’s baseball,” he said, adding that he took it in stride. “It shows you how hard it is to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues. I have a lot of respect for pitchers who have done it,” he said of the difficulty of attempting the record.
After allowing 14 runs in his first two starts of the season, Berrios has settled down since then. He had allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his last 12 starts, posting a 2.28 ERA.
Comparing his current upswing to 2018, when he threw a complete game shutout, he said, “I’m really happy, I’m really grateful. Because (my upswing) is allowing me to play the kind of baseball I love. I’ve been doing pretty good so far, and I want to keep it going,” he said, adding that he’s determined to keep the momentum going.
Manager John Schneider said, “Sometimes he gets overshadowed by the other starters, but he’s been phenomenal. “Sometimes he gets overshadowed by other starters, but he’s been phenomenal, and today it all came together,” Schneider said.
“He’s always a good pitcher. It’s great to watch from the dugout and see him throw with conviction and stick to his game plan. You can feel the confidence,” he said, praising his starter’s performance.
“To be honest, I didn’t realize it was a no-hitter until the sixth inning,” said teammate George Springer, who was unaware of the record attempt. He praised his teammate’s performance, saying, “He battles hard on the mound in any situation and gives the team a chance to win 토토사이트.”
“I’m happy to be able to help the team,” said the right-hander, who hit a solo home run over the left field fence. The other pitcher threw well, too. I was aiming for a high-course ball and was able to hit it hard,” he said of his own home run.