Brian Keller Tosses Trenton Thunder’s Second No-Hitter of the Season

Brian Keller has turned some heads since returning to the mound after an early season injury caused him to miss the first two-and-a-half months. The right-hander took the mound for the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees Double-A affiliate) Thursday in the first game of a double-header against the Altoona Curve.

Keller recorded a no-hit, going the full seven innings, striking out six and walking one. Trenton won the game 2-0. In Minor League Baseball, each game of a double-header is seven innings opposed to the normal nine.

The second inning was the only frame in which Keller was not perfect. He walked Altoona’s Logan Hill and Bligh Madris reached on a fielders choice.

In most no-hitters, there seems to be at least one incredible defensive play made to keep the milestone posisble. In this case it was Thunder third baseman Max Burt who robbed the Curve of a hit in the fifth inning.

Altoona’s Jerrick Suiter smoked a ground ball down the third base line. Burt dove to his right, snagged the ball, got to his feet quickly and fired a throw to first base to record the out.

Keller improved to 3-1 and has a 2.32 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 10 walks in 42 2/3 innings over seven starts with the Thunder this season. It was second no-hitter this season for Trenton and sixth in franchise history. Back on June 24, Deivi Garcia, Domingo Acevedo, and Daniel Alvarez combined to no-hit the Reading Fightin’ Phils.