Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the New York Mets on Wednesday. However, Francisco Lindor’s game-tying home run ended the bid and sparked a rally that led to a 6-2 Mets victory.
“With that many pitches (111), I felt like I had to empty the tank with heaters and let him put the ball in play,” Francis said, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Mets scored six runs in the ninth inning to undermine Francis’ strong performance. Relievers Chad Green and Génesis Cabrera combined to give up five earned runs, with four walks, three hits, and a three-run homer from Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez.
Francis had previously carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on August 24, only for Taylor Ward to break it up with a homer.
“It sucks for him that it’s happened twice in the same fashion,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
The 28-year-old Francis also held the Boston Red Sox hitless until the sixth inning on August 29.
In his last six starts, Francis has allowed just 13 hits across 43 innings.
“I just can’t speak enough to how he’s evolved and how much he has taken from this opportunity,” Schneider added.
Despite Francis’ impressive outings, the Blue Jays have lost two of those six games.
