Sonny Gray Takes No-Hitter Into 8th Before Yankees Finally Get a Hit

Sonny Gray was dealing. For most of the night at Fenway Park, the veteran right-hander had the New York Yankees looking completely lost at the plate. He was so locked in that Red Sox fans started wondering if they’d finally see something they haven’t witnessed in 18 years: a no-hitter from their own team.

Gray carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning on Sunday night. He had the Yankees flailing at his mix of sinkers, sweepers, cutters, and curves. New York hadn’t been held hitless this deep into a game since way back in 1963, according to the broadcast. That’s a franchise low they’d rather not have on the record books.

But Amed Rosario had other ideas. With one out in the eighth, Rosario jumped on an 87 mph cutter and poked it into left field for a clean single. The no-hitter was gone. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy came out and pulled Gray after 7.1 innings, letting the crowd give him the ovation he’d earned.

The Fenway fans stood and cheered for Gray as he walked off. It was a moment you don’t always see — a visiting pitcher getting love from a rival crowd. But Boston knows a gutsy performance when they see one. The reaction said it all.

Gray Hits 2,000 Career Strikeouts

Before the hit, Gray had already secured a nice piece of personal history. He fanned Spencer Jones in the eighth for his 2,000th career strikeout. Jones was a victim of Gray’s stuff multiple times during the game — Gray finished with nine strikeouts total, including punching out Jones more than once.

Gray was sharp from the first pitch. He sat down Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a cutter to start the game and never really eased up. Chisholm actually got ejected later on after arguing a strike call in the sixth. He challenged the call, lost the review, and then let the umpire hear about it until he got the hook.

Gray held the Yankees off the board through seven, and the Red Sox carried a 2-0 lead into the late innings. Tyron Guerrero came on in relief after Gray exited.

As for that 18-year no-hitter drought for Boston? It’s still alive. The last Red Sox pitcher to throw one was back in 2008. Gray came as close as anyone has in a while. Just not close enough.