Lions' Deck McGuire throws 14th no-hitter in KBO history

All News 20:33 April 21, 2019

SEOUL, April 21 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Lions' American right-hander Deck McGuire tossed a no-hitter on Sunday, becoming the 14th pitcher to accomplish the feat in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

McGuire struck out 13 while walking and hitting a batter each on the road against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. Those 13 strikeouts are a record in a no-hit game, and McGuire struck out the side in the ninth inning to punctuate his memorable day.

Deck McGuire of the Samsung Lions celebrates his no-hitter against the Hanwha Eagles in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 21, 2019, in this photo provided by the Lions. (Yonhap)

The Lions pounded out 23 hits in a 16-0 victory, setting a record for most run support in a no-hitter.

McGuire, a first-year import, became the first pitcher since Michael Bowden of the Doosan Bears in June 2016 to throw a no-no. McGuire is the fourth foreign pitcher to do so, and the first pitcher in the KBO's 38-year history to notch his first career win in a no-hitter.

Prior to his monumental start, McGuire had gone 0-2 in five starts with a 6.56 ERA. McGuire got the Opening Day nod on March 23 but was touched for seven runs on eight hits, including three home runs, in just 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the NC Dinos. Since then, McGuire had two starts in which he held opponents to a single run, but he gave up eight combined earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in his other two outings.

McGuire, a 29-year-old with 27 big league games to his credit, made 128 pitches against the Eagles. In addition to his 13 strikeouts, he induced eight groundouts and five flyouts. His catcher, Kang Min-ho, contributed by throwing out Jared Hoying at second base on a steal attempt, after Hoying reached on an error in the bottom of the first.

The Lions spotted McGuire a run in the top of the second and then exploded for seven more runs in the fourth. They added eight more over the next three innings, though McGuire didn't even need that much support.

McGuire walked Oh Sun-jin on six pitches with one out in the fourth but quickly retired the next two batters. With one out in the eighth, McGuire hit Kim Tae-kyun with a pitch but stranded the runner there by getting a strikeout and a groundout against the next two batters.