Mercedes is magic in first AquaSox no-hitter

After nearly 30 years and 2,059 regular-season games, High-A Everett finally has a no-hitter to call its own.

Juan Mercedes struck out a career-high 10 to complete the seven-inning gem against visiting Eugene, 5-0, on Tuesday night. The no-no was the 12th in the Minors this season and the third in the last week.

Mercedes, who jumped from Single-A Modesto to Triple-A Tacoma after one start, was coming off a rough outing in his previous appearance. The 22-year-old was charged with six runs over six innings against Spokane, elevating his ERA to 6.10. However, there were no such struggles for him against Eugene, which won the completion of a suspended game from April 10 earlier in the evening, 5-4.

The final out and the emotion that washed over the team @Juan_Mer03 @MsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/Dwe7CWDVMk

— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) June 1, 2022

Only two batters reached safely against Mercedes, who issued walks to seventh-ranked Giants prospect Patrick Bailey in the second and No. 13 Casey Schmitt in the fourth. The right-hander gathered steam as his outing progressed, striking out the side in the sixth and culminating with a dominant final frame where he set down the Emeralds' 3-4-5 hitters to complete the milestone on 98 pitches.

The victory was the second in three starts for Mercedes, who has alternated good and bad outings over the course of the month. Overall, the Dominican Republic native has a 4.75 ERA despite holding opponents to a .245 average while striking out 49 in 41 2/3 innings across nine appearances (six starts).

Signed as an international free agent in 2017, Mercedes was strictly a reliever coming into 2022, with 34 of his 70 career appearances coming last year with Modesto. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder made his first professional start with Tacoma on April 15 but was back in the bullpen before joining Everett, where all five of his outings have come as a starting pitcher.