Jose Valverde (wrist) could be ready to pitch Sunday

By Drew SilvaJun 23, 2012, 10:16 PM EDT
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Tigers closer Jose Valverde hasn’t appeared in a game since last Friday due to a sprained right wrist.

But he’s just about back to 100 percent health.

According to Chris Iott of Detroit’s MLive.com, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Saturday that Valverde is a “possibility” but “not a sure thing” for Sunday’s series-finale against the Pirates.

Phil Coke and Joaquin Benoit have been tasked with handling ninth-inning duties in his absence.

Valverde, 34, has a 4.18 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 28 innings this season. He’s 13-for-16 in save chances.

Cardinals’ bullpen loses combined no-hit bid with two outs in the eighth inning

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images
By Bill BaerAug 19, 2019, 9:49 PM EDT
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Update (10:04 PM EST): Orlando Arcia reached on a fielding error by DeJong. Gallegos bounced back, inducing weak fly outs from Ryan Braun and Trent Grisham. Yasmani Grandal ended the dream, yanking a double down the right field line.

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Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson flirted a no-hitter, but was unable to make it through the seventh inning. The right-hander kept the Brewers hitless through 6 2/3 innings on Monday evening at Busch Stadium, striking out six and walking four on 111 pitches. Hudson’s career-high was 112 pitches, so it was not surprising to see manager Mike Shildt take Hudson out of the game after a two-out walk to Eric Thames. Giovanny Gallegos entered the game and got Ben Gamel to ground out to end the inning.

Hudson, 24, entered the night 11-6 with a 3.82 ERA and a 97/59 K/BB ratio in 127 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals provided Hudson three runs of support. Kolten Wong knocked in a run with a ground out in the fifth inning and Dexter Fowler added an RBI single later in the frame. Paul DeJong crushed a solo homer to left field in the sixth to make it 3-0.

The last Cardinals no-hitter was thrown by Bud Smith on September 3, 2001 against the Padres. The Brewers were last no-hit on June 12, 2007 by Justin Verlander, then with the Tigers. If the Cardinals were to complete the no-hitter, it would be the fourth of the 2019 season and the third combined no-hitter.

We will update this thread as the Cardinals’ bullpen attempts to keep the Brewers hitless through the final two innings.