ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ All that stood between Danny Duffy and a shot at history was a 94 mph fastball in the bottom of the eighth inning. The baseball hung in the zone, spinning across the inner third of the strike zone. For once, the baseball did not go where Duffy commanded it to go.
Before outfielder Desmond Jennings roped a single into left field, Duffy was just six outs from becoming the first Royals pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Brett Saberhagen on Aug. 21, 1991. He settled, instead, for the best individual night of his six-year career.
In a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, Duffy finished with a franchise-record 16 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings. He broke the previous record held by Zack Greinke on a strikeout of Nick Franklin in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed just one hit and one walk while matching his career high with 110 pitches. He gave way to reliever Kelvin Herrera in the bottom of the ninth.
After a July collapse and a nondescript trade deadline, Duffy offered a spark, lifting the Royals, 50-55, to a needed victory in the opener of a four-game series.
Duffy was in command from the opening moments on Monday. He struck out two in the bottom of the first, finishing Brad Miller on a 96 mph fastball before coaxing a swing and miss from third baseman Evan Longoria. He struck out the side in the second inning before adding two more Ks to the ledger in the third.
The perfect game bid would end in the fourth, when Logan Forsythe reached base on a six-pitch walk. The count had sat 1-2 before Duffy missed with a changeup, curveball and fastball on consecutive pitches.
Duffy responded by retiring Miller on a popout to second and striking out Longoria for a second time. But Forsythe would advance to third base after Duffy threw wildly on a pickoff attempt. In some ways, it was Duffy's most errant throw of the night. With a runner on third and two outs, Duffy ended the threat by hurling a 95-mph fastball past a swinging Steven Souza Jr.
Duffy would rack up his 11th strikeout in the bottom of the fifth. He notched another while working a clean sixth. He ended the seventh by striking out Souza once more on a 94-mph fastball.
On early Monday afternoon, Duffy had sat on a black leather couch in a clubhouse here at Tropicana Field, wearing his customary game-day attire: Mesh basketball shorts and a Kobe Bryant high school jersey, the name "Lower Merion" stitched across the front.
Duffy grew up in central California, idolizing the Lakers icon. A few years ago, he purchased the jersey, preferring to bring it out on special occasions. When Duffy re-joined the Royals' rotation in early May, he began pulling it out before each start, wearing during his afternoon workouts. On Monday, Duffy and the jersey were ready.
For most of the night, he was nearly unhittable. In the end, his brilliance was enough.
