Bowden Francis continues to deal.

The reigning American League Player of the Week was untouchable through eight innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels by a score of 3-1 on Saturday. Francis was pulled after allowing a leadoff home run to Taylor Ward to start the ninth but was only three outs from becoming the second Blue Jay ever to throw a no-hitter.

Francis had two excellent starts on the road last week, as he held both the Angels and Chicago Cubs scoreless over seven innings of work. The right-hander was even better pitching in front of the crowd at Rogers Centre, as he went a career-high eight-plus innings while also setting a new career-high with 12 strikeouts. His ERA on the season has dropped from 5.44 to 4.02 over those last three starts.

The Blue Jays got on the board in the first inning and gave Francis an early lead to work with. Daulton Varsho hit a single, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove him in with a double, and Joey Loperfido extended the lead to 2-0 with another double.

That’s the only damage that Angels starter Carson Fulmer would allow, as he tossed six innings with two earned runs and eight strikeouts. Guerrero Jr. added to Toronto’s lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run, his 27th of the season, and Chad Green locked down three outs in the ninth to close the game.

There has still only been one no-hitter in Blue Jays history. It came back in September of 1990 when Dave Stieb blanked Cleveland in a 3-0 win for Toronto. A few other Blue Jays pitchers have carried a no-hitter in the ninth, including Roy Halladay in 1998 and Brandon Morrow in 2010.

Amazingly, it was on this same day in 1985 that Stieb first really flited to a no-hitter. He also had that start broken up by a solo home run in the ninth inning like Francis did.