Just a quick Performance of the Week award post today.
Both Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander flirted with no-hitters for the second time in 2011.Â
I did a masterful job of scuppering Liriano’s attempt on Sunday by turning the Twins’ game on just before Adrian Beltre broke up the no-no leading off the eighth inning (the 30 minute wait Liriano sat through as the Twins plated five runs in the bottom of the seventh might have had something to do with it as well).Â
Verlander’s attempt on Tuesday also fell in the eighth inning as Orlando Cabrera hit a one-out single to centre field (I was asleep at the time, so my jinxing powers clearly weren’t needed).
Both were impressive pitching performances nonetheless and Livan Hernandez’s complete game shut-out against the Cardinals on Wednesday deserves a mention as well.
The winnerÂ
However, this week’s winner has to be Josh Beckett. He gave up just one hit over nine innings against the Rays on Wednesday night, an infield single by Reid Brignac in the third inning, and yet it went largely unnoticed due to Boston’s Bruins capturing the Stanley Cup on the same night.
He didn’t get the limelight then, so perhaps this award will make up for it in part.
