Just three days ago the Joplin Blasters were just four outs away from having the club’s first no-hitter just 11 games into their inaugural season in the American Association. Today they got to see the other side of the coin, as the Winnipeg Goldeyes came just two outs away from no-hitting the Blasters, then had to hold on just to beat the Missouri team 4-3.

For the first four innings it was a complete domination by Hernandez and Joplin starter Rigoberto Arrebato. Hernandez retired the first 21 batters of the game, carrying a perfect game through seven. Arrebato gave up a one out single in the first, then allowed no further hits over the next 3.2 innings. It was a truly masterful job by both pitchers and, as good as the starters were, it would be the bullpens that would be the story.

Arrebato was pulled after four scoreless innings, and Raydel Sanchez took over for the Joplin Blasters. Winnipeg was happy to see the Blasters starter leave, and quickly jumped on top of Sanchez. Adam Heisler doubled to lead off the fifth inning, and scored on an error by Sanchez. Brady Wilson had reached on the error and was bunted over to third by Casio Grider. Brad Boyer singled to center field scoring Wilson to stake the Goldeyes to the 2-0 lead.

In the sixth the Winnipeg Goldeyes would get back on the board again. Josh Mazzola led off with an infield single, and a walk to Jon Weber moved him to second. Luis Alen lined a base hit to right field scoring Mazzola to make it 3-0. Heisler followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Weber and it was 4-0 Goldeyes after six.

Hernandez had a perfect game through seven and in the eighth he retired the first two hitters, striking out Jake Taylor and getting Omar Luna to pop out. That brought Carlos Ramirez to the plate, and Hernandez tried to be too fine with him, walking the Joplin first baseman on four pitches to end the perfect game. Jesus Solorzano grounded to the Winnipeg shortstop, but he misplayed it for an error, keeping the inning alive. Hernandez was unfazed, getting Mitch Glasser to ground out to end the inning.

After the eighth Hernandez day was over. “That was the toughest decision I’ve had to make in 10 years,” explained Winnipeg Goldeyes manager Rick Forney after the game. “Nick has been struggling with a bad back for the last 10 days and he grimaced after a pitch in the eighth. That’s when Stephen (Wady, the team’s athletic therapist) and I went out to the mound to see how he was. I know what I would have wanted. I understand if he’s unhappy with me. I hope he’s unhappy with me. But we just can’t afford to lose Nick Hernandez to an injury. We just don’t have that luxury.”

Jalien Peguro relieved for Winnipeg and struck out Cie Arell to begin the ninth, but then struggled to find the plate. Maikol Gonzalez walked as did Steven Tinoco, and the Blasters had something going. The Goldeyes pitching coach came out to calm Peguro down, and he quickly got ahead of Yasser Gomez with two quick strikes, but Gomez was able to rip the next pitch into center field to break up the no-hitter. More importantly it scored Gonzalez and put runners at first and third. A base hit by Taylor scored Tinoco, and it was just a two-run Winnipeg lead.

Peguro was replaced by Brendan Lafferty. The first batter he faced was Omar Luna, who hit a sacrifice fly to pull the visitors with one. That brought Ramirez to the plate as the go-ahead run but, on a 1-0 pitch, he grounded out to end the game and the Winnipeg Goldeyes were 4-3 winners.

Hernandez (1-1) evened his record and lowered his ERA to 1.42. He allowed a single walk in 8 innings of work, while striking out 8. Lafferty earned his first save of the season. Sanchez (1-2) took the loss.

Boxscore Provided by the American Association

By Robert Pannier