Orioles' John Means tosses no-hitter vs. Mariners, loses perfect game on wild pitch

Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means tossed Major League Baseball's third no-hitter of the 2021 season, with one unusual play separating him from the majors' first perfect game since 2012.

The left-hander faced the minimum 27 Seattle Mariners in a 6-0 win, with the only runner reaching base on a wild pitch following a strikeout in the bottom of the third inning.

Means fanned Mariners outfielder Sam Haggerty but the pitch got past catcher Pedro Severino and Haggerty made it safely to first. Severino then redeemed himself by throwing out Haggerty trying to steal second base.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first time in baseball history a pitcher lost a perfect game only because of a missed third strike.

Means didn't seem too fazed after just missing out on the perfect game, though. "I could care less that it wasn’t a perfect game,” he said.

Means threw 113 pitches and struck out 12 batters in the Orioles' first individual no-hitter since Hall of Famer Jim Palmer did it in 1969. The Orioles did have four pitchers combine for their last no-no in 1991.

“It’s such a crazy feeling. It’s such a whirlwind of an experience. I don’t think I’ve been able to process it yet,” Means said. “But to be in the same breath as Palmer, I don’t think that it gets much better than that.”

Orioles pitcher John Means, right, celebrates the final out of his no-hitter against the Mariners with catcher Pedro Severino.
Orioles pitcher John Means, right, celebrates the final out of his no-hitter against the Mariners with catcher Pedro Severino.

In this season's previous two no-hitters, both Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres and Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox were one hit batter away from pitching a perfect game – Musgrove in the third inning, Rodon in the ninth.

“I never really thought I’d be here. I’d always write MLB player when I was a kid on the on the sheet when asked you when you what you wanted to do when you’re older, but I never thought it was a reality,” Means said. “And now that it is, and now I’m able to throw this, it’s crazy and I don’t even know how to describe it.”

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orioles' John Means throws no-hitter vs. Mariners, Baltimore's first since 1991