Arnaldo Rodríguez completed an unfinished work from a couple of years ago: launches a no-hit no-run game

October 31, 2020

Arnaldo Rodríguez threw a no-hit, no-run game last Thursday against Pinar del Río, the 58th in the history of Cuban baseball championships.

Two years and one month after coming within two outs of shutting out the Vegueros de Pinar del Río without hits or runs, the persevering Arnaldo Rodríguez took the mound this Thursday with the task of preventing his Tigers from being defeated in the third game by those whom he once almost completely silenced.

The Avilés native took the mound and began completing innings without the rival batters being able to get hits until he accomplished what he couldn't on that occasion: a no-hitter, the 58th delivered in national series since Aquino Abreu achieved the first one on January 16, 1966, of the two consecutive no-hitters that no one has yet been able to match in Cuba.

Arnaldo is the third native of Avilés to reach the performance that every pitcher dreams of, while this is the fourth no-hit, no-run game that Pinar del Río has received in its history, a team that shares with Camagüey and Industriales the lead for the most successes achieved that way with five, according to the records of our statistician Benigno Daquinta.

Juan Pérez Pérez is the pitcher with the most games won while keeping the scoreboard blank for runs and hits off the opponent by signing three in the same number of consecutive seasons, two bear the signature of Aquino, Rogelio García, Maels Rodríguez (including the perfect game he threw to the Tunas) and Freddy Asiel Álvarez, who had been the last to triumph with a no-hitter, on August 20 of last year.

Arnaldo was away from the sport during the preceding season due to an accident from which he miraculously escaped, and when many thought they would never see him pitching again, the young man showed up with this pitching gem (9.0, 2K, 2BB and 1DB) that puts him in excellent condition to win the player of the week award.

The result of the game was the same as two years ago: 2-0, with a home run by Raúl González, who like Yorbis Borroto, went 4-for-2. The losing pitcher Vladimir Baños also had a quality start (6.0, 1CL, 7H, 1K).