MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Twins left-hander J.A. Happ completed six no-hit innings on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Happ, in his first season with the Twins, walked two batters in the second, the only baserunners allowed to date. He’s thrown 75 pitches so far at Target Field.
Happ’s bid for the first no-hitter of his 15-year career caught quite a break in the fifth, when Wilmer Difo hit a comebacker that Happ tried to scoop with his glove.
The ball ricocheted toward third base, where Happ hustled and used a slide to grab the ball in the grass. His throw, which likely would have been too late, went wide of first and into foul territory.
But instead of taking an error and allowing Difo to reach second base, Happ was off the hook when home plate umpire Jose Navas called Difo out for straying too far inside the base line and thus interfering with the throw. Pirates manager Derek Shelton argued to no avail.
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