Mariners RHP Hisashi Iwakuma has been named the American League Player of the Week for Aug. 10-16 for the no-hitter he threw at the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday at Safeco Field. This is the first weekly honor for Iwakuma, whose no-hitter was the fifth in Seattle franchise history, fourth by a single pitcher.
Iwakuma joined Randy Johnson (June 2, 1990 vs. Detroit), Chris Bosio (April 22, 1993 vs. Boston) and Felix Hernandez (Aug. 15, 2012 vs. Tampa Bay) on Seattle’s no-hit list. The Mariners also had a six-man combined no-hitter June 8, 2012, when Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Iwakuma became the second Japanese-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter, joining Hideo Nomo, who tossed two during his career, Sept. 17, 1996 at Colorado (with Dodgers) and April 4, 2001 at Baltimore (with Boston).
Iwakuma’s no-hitter is the fourth in the majors this season, but the first in the American League since Hernandez had his perfect game on Tampa Bay. National League no-hitters this year include Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels vs. Chicago (NL) July 25, Washington’s Max Scherzer vs. Pittsburgh June 20, and San Francisco’s Chris Heston vs. New York (NL) June 9.
Iwakuma’s is the first Player of the Week honor by a Mariners pitcher since Hernandez June 9, 2014, and the third Player of the Week honor for the Mariners this season, following Nelson Cruz (April 20) and Brad Miller (May 18).
Iwakuma is 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA (31 ER, 72.1 IP) with 58 strikeouts in 11 starts this season. Over his past seven outings, he is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA with 44 strikeouts. He missed more than two months on the 15-day disabled list earlier this season (April 24-July 6) with a right lat strain.
Since Iwakuma threw his no-hitter, Mariners pitchers have allowed 45 runs, all in a three-game series at Boston — the most runs allowed in any three-game stretch in franchise history.
The Mariners begin a three-game set with the Texas Rangers Monday night in Arlington. RHP Taijuan Walker (8-7, 4.60) will throw for Seattle opposite LHP Cole Hamels (0-1, 5.93).