Blue Jay: T.J. Zeuch throws no-hitter, Davis saves it in 9th

T.J. Zeuch threw a no-hitter in Triple-A on Monday night, but history was almost erased before Jonathan Davis made a highlight reel catch in the 9th inning.

The Blue Jays had an off-day on Monday before they start road trip in Los Angeles with the Dodgers on Tuesday. That didn’t stop the organization for making headlines though.

Down in Triple-A it was a pretty special day for 24-year-old right-hander, T.J. Zeuch, who threw his first professional no-hitter.

Zeuch accomplished the feat in impressive fashion, nearly throwing a perfect game except for just one walk issued, and one hit batter against the Rochester Red Wings. He also pitched to contact throughout most of the evening, striking out just three batters for the 27 outs that he had to earn to put a no-hitter on his resume.

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The right-hander and the Bisons very nearly had a heart-breaking moment in the bottom of the ninth, as the Red Wings’ Mike Miller hit a short flare into centre field with just one out. Thankfully Jonathan Davis got an excellent break on the ball and made a no-hitter saving, diving grab to keep Zeuch’s no-no alive. Any pitcher that has thrown a no-hitter will tell you that they couldn’t have done it without their defence, and Davis’ grab was a huge moment.

As it turns out, it’s just the 2nd no-hitter in Bisons’ franchise history, and the last guy to do it was Bartolo Colon of all people. Naturally it was 22 years ago as well, back when he was still working his way to a regular full-time gig.

Zeuch was the Blue Jays’ first round draft pick back in 2016 (21st overall) and is currently ranked at #17 among their minor league prospects. Outings like this one will certainly improve his stock within the organization, and there’s a good chance that he’ll make his major league debut for the 2019 campaign is over.

If that doesn’t happen, look for Zeuch to serve as starting depth in 2020 and beyond, and hopefully he’ll eventually make good on the promise that made him a first round pick. He’s posted a 3.54 ERA over 63 career MiLB starts, and made his way to Triple-A this season, so he’s not too far away from doing just that. Obviously a no-hitter won’t hurt his resume, and it might earn him a big league opportunity sooner than later.