Yoshinobu Yamamoto Lost a No-Hitter With One Out Left, And Baseball Is Still Asking 'What If?'

Holy smokes, did you guys see what almost went down on Saturday? Yoshinobu Yamamoto was STRAIGHT UP DEALING! We're talking about a guy who came within THREE outs of a no-hitter and was just a single booted ground ball away from perfection through eight innings. Seriously, in baseball, those kinds of moments are pure electric, and he was on the verge of history against the White Sox in a 7-1 win at Rate Field. It was absolutely wild.

A Booted Ball Crushes Perfection Dreams

Picture this: Yamamoto is cruising. Absolutely silencing bats. He's got everything working, setting down batter after batter after batter. He even extended an incredible streak to 45 consecutive batters retired, tying Mark Buehrle for the second-longest in MLB history. That's just one shy of Yusmeiro Petit's all-time record! This dude was locked in a whole other dimension, and through eight innings, he hadn't allowed a single White Sox player to reach base.

But then, baseball being baseball, it happened. Two outs in the eighth inning, Chase Meidroth steps up. He grounds a ball to the left side, a routine play, right? Except shortstop Mookie Betts booted it. You could practically hear the collective gasp across the league. Second baseman Santiago Espinal made an attempt for a second-chance play, but Meidroth was on base. Just like that, the perfect game bid was GONE. Brutal.

Then a Homer Snatches the No-No

Even with the perfect game off the table, the no-hitter was still very much alive heading into the ninth. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, heart rates spiking with every pitch. Yamamoto had been so dominant, it felt like a given, a foregone conclusion. He was throwing a gem, plain and simple.

But baseball had another twist. Tristan Peters led off the bottom of the ninth and, wouldn't you know it, he launched a home run. Just like that, the no-hit bid was gone too. One swing of the bat. Peters' long ball was the only blemish in an otherwise masterful performance. Yamamoto still got the next batter, No. 9 hitter Edgar Quero, who flied out to center fielder Andy Pages, ending the outing after a season-high 109 pitches. He fanned seven hitters and only allowed those two baserunners over 8 1/3 dominant innings. It's a tough pill to swallow, especially knowing he’s tossed two no-hitters back in Nippon Professional Baseball and almost had one last September in Baltimore, losing it after 8 2/3 innings.

So, while it wasn't the history-making night many hoped for, it was still an absolutely stunning performance from Yamamoto. His quest for that first MLB no-hitter continues, and honestly, after seeing this, you just know it's going to happen. You absolutely cannot miss his next start!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.