MLB Notebook: Nate Pearson throws inning in combined no-hitter, Matt Chapman inks extension with Giants
Photo credit: © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve got ourselves a Former Blue Jay edition of the MLB Notebook with a pair of familiar names making news in the National League.
The Chicago Cubs threw a combined no-hitter on Wednesday in a 12-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the 18th no-no in Cubs history and the first at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas blanked the San Diego Padres in September of 1972.
Shota Imanaga got the start for the Cubs and continued what has been an excellent rookie season in the Major Leagues. The lefty threw seven no-hit innings and struck out seven batters while surrendering only two walks. Former Blue Jay Nate Pearson tossed a clean inning in the eighth and Porter Hodge completed the no-hitter in the ninth.
Pearson said that he wasn’t aware that he was coming into a no-hitter situation until the crowd started reacting to Imanaga being pulled from the game.
“I honestly didn’t know we had a no-hitter going,” Pearson told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “And I ran out there and started getting booed and I realized, ‘Oh, we probably have something on the line here.’ I kind of just locked it in and did my part.”
The Blue Jays moved Pearson to the Cubs ahead of the trade deadline and the former top prospect has done well with the change of scenery. The flame-throwing righty owns a 2.20 ERA over 16 1/3 innings with Chicago and has picked up 15 strikeouts compared to only two walks issued.
Former Blue Jays relievers being involved in combined no-hitters is nothing new. Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini were both involved in a combined no-hitter with the Houston Astros shortly after being traded in 2019 and Ryan Tepera pitched an inning in a no-hitter with the Cubs in 2021.
Here are a couple more Blue Jays references from this game before we move on… Ryan Borucki tossed a scoreless inning for the Pirates in the eighth and was the only pitcher on the team not to allow a run in the loss. The lefty has been limited to just 5 1/3 innings with the Pirates this season because of injury. In the ninth inning, the Pirates brought in Rowdy Tellez to mop things up and the slugger allowed only one earned run on three hits.
Matt Chapman inks contract extension with the Giants
The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a six-year, $151 million contract extension with third baseman Matt Chapman.
The four-time Gold Glove winner turned down a qualifying offer from the Toronto Blue Jays last winter in search of a long-term contract in free agency. By the time Spring Training rolled around, Chapman was one of a handful of marquee free agents without a contract. He wound up signing a one-year, $18 million deal with the Giants with player options for 2025 and 2026 worth $17 million and $18 million along with a mutual option for 2027 worth $20 million.
Given his solid debut performance with San Francisco, it seemed inevitable Chapman would either opt out of his contract and test free agency or reach an extension with the Giants. The California native was asked about his contract status earlier this month and expressed interest in remaining in the Bay Area long-term.
“Nothing yet,” Chapman told the Mercury News. “But they know that I’m open and willing to listen to any offer that they have to make.”“I don’t think I was as comfortable maybe in Toronto the last couple years as I am here. Sometimes your environment has a lot to do with that, and it’s just a good environment for me. I definitely enjoy playing on the West Coast. And playing for [manager Bob Melvin], I’m comfortable.”
The Blue Jays acquired Chapman from the Oakland Athletics ahead of the 2022 season. He slashed a .234/.327/.429 line with 44 home runs and 130 RBIs over two seasons with the club and provided elite defence at the hot corner. In his first season with the Giants, the 31-year-old has a .778 on-base plus slugging percentage and 22 home runs in 136 games.
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