The San Diego Padres may be out of playoff contention, but it doesn't mean that their games don't count all the same, at least to starting pitcher Blake Snell. Snell pitched yet another marvelous outing, completely blanking the Colorado Rockies in seven innings of work. The talented lefty did not allow any hits, striking out 10 while walking four, and in the process of doing so, he continued to show just how great of a pitcher he truly is.
Per OptaSTATS, Snell has now held batters hitless in his previous 39 at-bats, the longest such streak since he himself strung together 41 straight hitless ABs two seasons ago. Now, the Padres lefty finds himself in even more lofty company. He joined Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan as the only two starters over the past 50 years to have two separate hitless streaks of 39+ at-bats without allowing a hit — which is simply incredible.
Alas, Blake Snell as unable to complete the no-hit attempt that he had going on Tuesday night, as Padres manager ended up relieving him for Robert Suarez to begin the eighth inning. While Suarez pitched a hitless inning with two strikeouts, closer Josh Hader ended up allowing two hits in the ninth, dashing the Padres' bid for a combined no-hitter.
There's no better time for Snell to pick up the pace on the mound, as he will be entering free agency in a few months' time. If he continues to pitch at a similar level as he has over his past few starts, then any team that will be signing him will be getting an upgrade in their starting rotation.
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