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Hansack pitches five-inning no-hitter in season finale

Oct 2, 2006 - 12:38 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- Rookie Devern Hansack pitched a no-hitter but won't get his name in the record books.

In his second major league start, Hansack did not allow a hit over five innings as the Boston Red Sox closed their season with a 9-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a game called after five innings due to rain.

However, the righthander will not get credit for an official no-hitter since commissioner Fay Vincent changed the rule regarding no-hitters back in 1991. Now to get credit for a no-hitter, a pitcher must pitch a complete game that goes at least nine innings.

"With all of the emotion of the game, this young kid was throwing strikes and changing speeds," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He's a very poised and polite young man who has three pretty good pitches."

Hansack became the ninth American League pitcher all-time to allow no hits in a complete game of fewer than nine innings.

After dropping his first career start, 5-3, to Toronto on September 23, Hansack (1-1) had to wait 3 hours, 23 minutes to take the mound due to a downpour. The 28-year-old struck out six, threw 42 of 61 pitches for strikes and allowed just one base runner - a second-inning walk to Fernando Tatis.

"It's a great feeling," said Hansack, who also pitched Class AA Portland's clinching game in the Eastern League championship. "I appreciate my teammates giving me some runs so early. My teammates told me (I hadn't given up a hit) and I was looking at the scoreboard."

After a 41 minute rain delay in the bottom of the fifth, the game was called.

Mark Loretta, Mike Lowell and Eric Hinske each homered for Boston (86-76), which had its streak of eight consecutive American League second-place finishes snapped. It finished one game behind Toronto.

Hayden Penn (0-4) was rocked for seven runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings for Baltimore (70-92), which finished in fourth place in the AL East.