It was a no-hitter. Then it wasn’t. And then, apparently, it was.
Royals farmhand Luis Mendoza threw his second career Pacific Coast League no-hitter in Class AAA Omaha’s 4-0 victory Monday at Memphis. But not without controversy. In the bottom of the ninth, Memphis’ Tyler Greene hit a fly ball that bounced off the glove of Omaha left fielder David Lough and hit the base of the outfield wall.“It was hit right at me and kind of crossed me up a little bit,” Lough told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I turned one way, to the left, and then back to the right. I jumped up, and it hit off my glove.”Official scorer John Guinozzo called it an error. Moments later, Mendoza struck out Andrew Brown, ending the game. Then things turned odd. Guinozzo, according to a Redbirds representative and a Memphis media report, reviewed the critical call and changed it to a hit, wiping out Mendoza’s gem.Next, Tommy Gregg, Omaha’s acting manager, met with the scorer. The result of that meeting: The call changed again. “They’ve got to ask me, and I don’t agree,” Gregg said. “It hit his glove, and the rule is if it hits his glove, it’s an error. So that’s a no-hitter. “The home team cannot convince the scorekeeper to change that ruling. It’s got to be a consensual ruling and I have not heard a word about it, so it’s a no-hitter.“It was an error until a half-hour after the game, and that is not right. You do not take a no-hitter away from a guy because the home club calls up and says change it.”Mendoza struck out seven and walked four while lowering his league-leading ERA to 2.30.He also tossed a no-hitter for Oklahoma City on Aug. 14, 2009, against Salt Lake. He joins Tacoma’s Dick Estelle (1964-65) as the only PCL pitchers to throw two nine-inning no hitters in the last 95 years “The last game gave me confidence to come into the next outing and try to do better,” Mendoza said. “My teammates helped me with their defense.”Read more Royals
Posted on Tue, Jul. 19, 2011 11:30 PM
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Omaha’s Mendoza gets no-hitter after almost losing it
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