Arizona @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 25, 2010 ) Arizona 1, Tampa Bay 0
A day after Arizona's Edwin Jackson pitched one of the most illogical no-hitters the game has seen in years, the Diamondbacks will try to make it two straight wins against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Despite struggling through severe control problems - especially early in the game - Jackson threw the second no-hitter in Diamondbacks' history in Arizona's 1-0 victory on Friday.
Jackson walked eight batters which inflated his pitch count to outrageous numbers. But Arizona manager A.J. Hinch stuck with Jackson because he was working on the no-hitter and Jackson got stronger as the game progressed.
Jackson, who pitched three years for the Rays, ended up throwing 149 pitches in the game and seven of his eight walks came in the first three innings. Jackson (5-6) struck out six batters and hit another one and Tampa Bay left 16 runners on base.
A.J. Burnett walked a record nine batters in his no-hitter in 2001. Randy Johnson threw the Diamondbacks' only other no-hitter, a perfect game in 2004.
Adam LaRoche provided all the offense in Friday's game with a solo homer to right field in the second inning.
Tampa Bay has been no stranger to the no-hitter. It was the third time since last July that the Rays have been held without a hit. Earlier in the year, Oakland Athletics hurler Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Rays.
Jackson retired the last five batters he faced following an error by shortstop Stephen Drew on Friday.
The Rays loaded the bases with one out on three walks by Jackson in the third inning, but B.J. Upton grounded into a force play with Mark Reynolds making a great catch and a spinning throw to cut down the tying run at home. Reynolds also made another great play later in the contest to preserve the no-hitter.
The Rays will send their ace, David Price, to the mound on Saturday. Price leads the American League with 10 wins and had his three-game winning streak snapped in his last outing after Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson outdueled him in a 4-1 victory.
Price struck out nine in the game. He is second in the American League with a 2.45 ERA - trailing only Seattle Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee.
Carl Crawford pinch-ran in Friday's game but did not play the field because of a sore shoulder and is questionable for Saturday's contest. He injured the shoulder throwing a ball on Wednesday.
Ian Kennedy starts for the Diamondbacks, who have won two of their last three games away from Arizona, but still sports the worst record in the National League on the road.