Tyler Matzek Makes Behind-the-Back Snag to Initiate Double Play and Claim Play of the Week
Following the first career no-hitters for a pair of left-handers, All-Star starting pitcher John Means of the Baltimore Orioles has been chosen the American League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet, and starter Wade Miley of the Cincinnati Reds has been named the National League Player of the Week presented by Chevrolet. The announcements were made earlier today on MLB Network.
Means earned his first career AL Player of the Week Award and is the first Orioles winner since his teammate Trey Mancini on September 23, 2019. He became the first Baltimore hurler to accomplish the feat since Arthur Rhodes in August 1994. Miley also claimed his first career weekly honor and is the first Reds player since his teammate Nick Castellanos last season for the period ending August 2nd. Cincinnati’s last pitcher to do so was Johnny Cueto in August 2014, the season in which he finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting.
John Means, Baltimore Orioles (@john.means)
- On Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners, delivered the first individual no-hitter for the Orioles since Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in 1969, and the 10th overall in franchise history.
- His 12 punchouts were the most by an Orioles/Browns pitcher in a no-hitter.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first pitcher in Major League history to throw a non-perfect no-hitter in which the opposing Club did not reach base via walk, hit by pitch or error.
- Facing the minimum, registered 26-of-27 first pitch strikes.
- Became the fifth pitcher in MLB history to record a no-hitter with at least 12 punchouts while needing fewer than 115 pitches, joining Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Félix Hernández and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax (Koufax and Hernández pitched perfect games).
Wade Miley, Cincinnati Reds
- In Friday’s tilt against the Cleveland Indians, recorded Cincinnati’s first no-hitter since Homer Bailey on July 2, 2013.
- Marked the Reds’ 17th no-hitter in franchise history, tied with the Giants for fourth-most in Baseball history, trailing the Dodgers (23), White Sox (20) and Red Sox (18).
- At 34 years and 127 days, became the oldest pitcher to toss a no-hitter since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in 2004 (40 years, 251 days).
- Per Elias, became the second pitcher in history to register a no-hitter after playing for his seventh career MLB team, joining Edinson Vólquez in 2017.
- Recorded just two days after Mean’s no-hitter, it was the shortest span between no-hitters since June 29, 1990 when Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela both threw no-hitters on the same day.
Other noteworthy AL performances for the week included rookie Adolis García (.464, 6 R, 13 H, 4 HR, 12 RBI) of the Texas Rangers; All-Star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (.375, 9 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) of the New York Yankees; outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (.520, 7 R, 13 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Houston Astros; shortstop Marcus Semien (.379, 6 R, 11 H, 5 XBH) of the Toronto Blue Jays; and All-Star shortstop Jorge Polanco (.368, 7 H, 3 2B, 4 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins.
Other noteworthy NL performances last week included All-Stars Brandon Belt (.316, 6 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and Brandon Crawford (.385, 5 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI) of the San Francisco Giants; shortstop Miguel Rojas (.458, 9 R, 11 H, 6 BXH) of the Miami Marlins; starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa (2-0, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 10 SO) of the Atlanta Braves; All-Star starter Adam Wainwright (2-0, 3.21 ERA, 14.0 IP, 10 SO) of the St. Louis Cardinals; and All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen (.385, 6 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI) of the Philadelphia Phillies.
PLAY OF THE WEEK
Behind-the-Back Snag by Tyler Matzek of the Atlanta Braves
May 9th vs. PHI – Watch It Here
Relief pitcher Tyler Matzek of the Atlanta Braves earned his first career Play of the Week award and is the fifth Braves player to accomplish the feat since the award was introduced in 2019. Tyler became the first pitcher to do so since Marcus Stroman in August 2019. With no outs in the top of the seventh inning of last night’s contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, Matzek initiated a double play after making a behind-the-back snag and throwing to second base. Additional Play of the Week candidates included Justin Williams leaping catch against the wall in foul territory; Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s perfect throw home to nab Myles Straw at the plate; Clint Frazier’s fully-extended diving catch in left-center field; and Michael Conforto’s jumping catch on the warning track to take away an extra-base hit.
Chevy Community MVPs of the Month
Meet the dedicated people who’ve kept our communities moving forward over the last year. They’re the real MVPs, or as we call them, Community MVPs. Each Month as MLB recognizes National and American League players for their exceptional on-field performances, Chevy will spotlight a Community MVP who’s stood out for continuously putting others’ needs before their own.
Kisha Reid from Atlanta, GA.
A nurse at Northside Cardiovascular Institute, Kisha is a true hero of the pandemic. Despite losing her son and grandmother in less than a year, Kisha continued to put others before herself…as she has always done. Her tireless strength and dedication to her family, patients and community is an inspiration to all.
Dr. Todd Wheat from Kansas City, MO.
A principal at Green Springs Elementary, Dr. Wheat is described as a “Hometown Hero” who goes above and beyond each day for his students, staff, and community. When his school was shut down last spring, he distributed free lunches in the rain, worked closely with his staff to navigate the challenges of pandemic learning, and just recently created a video titled “All Are Welcome” to build morale and share his love of reading with students. There’s nothing Dr. Wheat won’t do for his school.
For a full list of Chevy Community MVPs, please visit here.
