Baseball No-hitters

BASEBALL NO-HITTERS are usually considered pitching gems. But in 2001, A. J. Burnett lacked the control that normally results in a no-hitter.

The Florida Marlins went on the road against the San Diego Padres. Burnett, after missing the season’s first month with a stress fracture in his toe, drew his second starting assignment of the year. The right-hander, who had never thrown a complete game in his three-year major league career, exhibited characteristic wildness.

But inconsistency with the strike zone caught the opposing Padres off guard. Despite throwing only 65 of 128 pitches for strikes, allowing nine walks and hitting a batter, Burnett proved unhittable. Even though every San Diego regular reached base, the closest any Padre came to chalking up a hit occurred in the seventh.

Alex Arias grounded a slow chopper behind the mound that shortstop Alex Gonzalez gloved with a sliding, backhanded stop. His throw went up the first-base line, and Arias attempted to leap over the tag of first baseman Derrek Lee. Despite being on his knees, Lee nicked Arias on the foot for the out.

In San Diego’s ninth, Arias lined Burnett’s first pitch straight to right fielder Eric Owens for out number one. Pinch hitter Santiago Perez struck out swinging. And Phil Nevin, a second pinch hitter, popped out to Gonzalez to end the game.

The Marlins, who scored two runs on Charles Johnson’s two-run double in the third inning and a single run in the fifth, capitalized on the unconventional no-hitter for a 3–0 victory.

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POINT Who would have ever thought A. J. Burnett could throw a no-hitter? His record-setting game included lots of base runners and just over half his balls connecting for strikes. But in baseball, sometimes the lack of control works well.

The same thing can’t be said about the Christian life. The Bible is clear: Self-control makes us more like God. Being wild isn’t a characteristic for a follower of Jesus.

GOAL! Think about areas in your life that are still a little wild. What could you do to bring them under control? Ask God to help you know him more, which leads to becoming more like him.