Through the first six or so innings, Jon Lester did not have a no-hitter tonight. A first inning Nick Markakis bouncer got past Kris Bryant for a single. Much later, a scoring decision changed the play (correctly) to an error, and, suddenly, Lester had a no-hitter in the seventh. He got through that frame, but the first batter in the eighth inning was A.J. Pierzynski, who pulled a solid single into right. Bummer, but it was a fun, quirky thing for a little while.
The Cubs did manage to complete the shutout from there, though, with the offense tacking on some late insurance runs. It was the first time in 10 days the Cubs scored at least four runs.
The story of the night was Lester, though, who was dominant – and he’s been quite good for a while, if you haven’t been paying attention.
So close.