Scott Eyre was not about to complain after being pulled from a no-hitter after five innings.
“I was getting kind of tired,” he said. “I didn’t even go five innings in my last two starts.”
And those were in mid-June. Since then, Eyre had thrown just 12 1/3 innings.
Even so, he looked anything but rusty Wednesday in the Sox’s 2-0 victory over Oakland at Comiskey Park. After five hitless innings, Eyre watched as reliever Keith Foulke retired six straight A’s before giving way to setup man Bob Howry.
The no-hit bid ended when Jason Giambi, mired in an 0-for-17 slump, led off the eighth with a single to shallow center.
“I knew it was a hit when I heard the boos,” Howry said with a grin.
Eyre might have lost his place in history, but the thrill of winning his second game of the season–his first since April 25–was more than enough.
“I just felt really good today,” he said. “I was more relaxed than I had been for any of my 14 starts.”
That was his greatest accomplishment, considering his wife, Laura, was sitting in the stands, one day before she is to deliver a baby girl. “I was pretty high on life today,” Eyre said.
The Sox’s offense was supplied by catcher Robert Machado, who smacked a homer in the third, and Ray Durham, who drove home Mike Cameron with a sixth-inning double.
Howry kept his ERA below 1.00 in his last 15 outings, and Bill Simas earned his 14th save after a shaky ninth, but the day belonged to Eyre, who seemed buried in the bullpen before getting his shot Wednesday.
“There’s no doubt that his stock has risen,” said manager Jerry Manuel. “If any (starter) happens to falter, I wouldn’t hesitate to give (Eyre) another shot.”
