Henderson Alvarez Throws a No-Hitter Thanks to a Walk-Off Wild Pitch

Henderson Alvarez threw a different kind of no-hitter Sunday afternoon against the Tigers, with the game ending on a walk-off wild pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning in Miami.

Fittingly the 2013 season highlight for the Miami Marlins comes in the thick of NFL games.

And it comes in perfect 2013 Marlins fashion, too, with Giancarlo Stanton scoring from third on Luke Putkonen’s bounced pitch in the dirt with Greg Dobbs batting. Alvarez was in the on-deck circle when Stanton crossed home plate to make the final score 1-0.

Alvarez was in jeopardy of becoming the 15th player to pitch nine no-hit innings without a decision, the last by Pedro Martinez for the Expos in 1995. Alvarez finished with only one strikeout and four walks. An error by Adieny Hechavarria — another player acquired from the Blue Jays as part of the Jose Reyes trade in the winter — cost Alvarez a chance for a perfect game.

This was a strange game, with a mostly Spring Training vibe to it. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez didn’t play for the Tigers, while Prince Fielder only had one at bat. Jim Leyland pulled Justin Verlander after six scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. Either way, it’s probably not the best way to head into the postseason as Detroit prepares to play Oakland in the ALDS later this week.

It’s the third no-hitter this season, following the works of Homer Bailey and Tim Lincecum in July and the fifth no-hitter in Marlins’ history.

Alvarez was pretty pumped up when he left the mound in the top of the ninth despite the then 0-0 scoreline.