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Chicago Cubs News: Alec Mills’ no-hitter and what it means going forward
Journeyman Alec Mills etched his name in MLB history books and perhaps the Cubs’ playoff rotation following his no-hitter.
From a college walk-on to the big league mound–Alec Mills made history on Sunday after throwing the 16th no-hitter in Cubs’ history.
It has been an uphill climb for the 28-year old starting pitcher, who told Marquee Sports Network what he was feeling after the final out.
“I have no idea. It really hasn’t hit me yet,” Mills said. “I didn’t really know how to celebrate. Just something that came together today. I don’t think you ever think about no-hitters or things like that, it’s something I never would have imagined in my life.”
Mills pieced together his no-no on a career-high 114 pitches while striking out five and walking three. The five strikeouts are the fewest in a Cubs no-hitter since Ken Holtzman in 1969.
Last five Chicago Cubs no-hitters:
September 13, 2020: Alec Mills @ Milwaukee Brewers, 12-0
April 21, 2016: Jake Arrieta @ Cincinnati Reds, 16-0
August 30, 2015: Jake Arrieta @ Los Angelas Dodgers, 2-0
September 14, 2008: Carlos Zambrano @ Houston Astros, 5-0
September 2, 1972 Milt Pappas vs San Diego Padres, 8-0
His pitches feature a low-90s fastball and a slow breaking ball in the 60s, which is not enough to blow hitters away, but they can keep a team off-balance, which is what Mills did in the 12-0 win over Milwaukee.
These days GMs drool at the mouth when they see a guy who can throw 100mph with a hard-slider. At the end of the day, this is the big leagues, and professional hitters can still hit hard-stuff if the pitches are not executed well.
The ‘soft-tosser’ has been compared to the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks
Mills has often been compared to his teammate Kyle Hendricks who established himself as one of the best starters in the league even while being labeled a “soft-tosser.” The professor is the correct term for Hendricks, not just because of his Dartmouth background, but his ability to execute his pitches and “take hitters to school” while he keeps them guessing. This led to Hendricks becoming the ERA-champ (2.16) in 2016.
Not a bad guy to learn from for Mills, who spent eight seasons in the minors after being drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 22nd out of the University of Tennessee-Martin.
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It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for the journeyman, and I think credit goes to manager David Ross who has stuck with Mills despite some bumps in the road.
“The one thing that stands out to me about Alec is that no matter what situation I’ve put him in this year, he’s answered the expectations we’ve had for him.” Ross said. “You see the adversity somebody has been through, to get an opportunity and make the most of it is rewarding from my seat.”
The story of someone like Alec Mills should be an inspiration to all, proving the right mindset and hard work can lead to anything possible.
For Mills, it has led to a spot in a big-league rotation, and larger role as October nears.
Mills and the rest of the Cubs may be getting hot at the right time as we get set for October
On a quick side note, I thought it was bush league of Brewers manager Craig Counsell to put position player Orlando Arcia on the mound against the Cubs in the top of the ninth inning. Arcia was throwing pitches in the 40-50mph range in what had the potential to be a long and slow inning to throw off the rhythm of Mills.
Thankfully, it all worked out, and now that I got that off my chest, what does this no-hitter mean for the Cubs in the future?
For one, I think Mills has pitched his way into playoff rotation for the Cubs. After Cy Young candidate Yu Darvish (7-2, 1.77 ERA) and Kyle Hendricks (5-4 3.29), there have been some questions as to who the Cubs should go with. After a rough stretch, Jon Lester (2-2, 5.05 ERA) came back strong his last time out against the Brewers, throwing six scoreless innings. Given his postseason track record, there is no one I would rather have on the mound than big Jon.
With Tyler Chatwood and Jose Quintana both on the 10-day IL, this leaves the door open for Mills (5-3, 3.93 ERA) as the fourth starter. Mills will most likely not be throwing a no-hitter in the playoffs, but keeping the Cubs’ in the ballgame and giving their offense a fighter’s chance is all you can ask for in October.
Next. Heyward is clutch in more ways than one. dark
The no-hitter and blowout win comes after the ninth-inning comeback in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Milwaukee. That is the type of “back from the dead” win that can jumpstart a team like the Cubs and also demoralize a team like the Brewers (20-24) who are fighting for their playoff lives.
In danger of being back-to-back shutout games, all of a sudden, the first-place Cubs (28-20) are four games ahead of the Cardinals (20-20) and riding high into their final 12 games of the season. If Sunday’s performance was any indication of what is to come, there is no telling what this team is capable of.