Watch: Cardinals’ Austin Gomber’s no-hit bid delayed by fire alarm
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Austin Gomber was in the midst of making a bid for a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds when a fire alarm at Great American Ball Park delayed the game for approximately seven minutes.
Gomber had not surrendered a hit to the Cincinnati Reds batters through six innings.Things took an odd turn the next time he took the mound.
79 pitches for @AustinGomber as he is now through 6 innings of some excellent pitching. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/H1G0rOIFAa
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 25, 2018
When Gomber attempted to continue his dominant performance in the seventh inning, shrieking fire alarms and flashing lights shut the game down.
With a no-hitter on the line going into the 7th inning, the fire alarm goes off at Great American Ball Park, causing a lengthy delay. Source of fire: Austin Gomber. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/wz4mK3KITG
— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) July 25, 2018
Gomber attempted to stay lose by throwing warm-up pitches until order was restored. But his best efforts to remain in the zone proved futile, as Gomber surrendered a one-out single to Joey Votto. He surrendered a game-tying, two-run homer to Eugenio Suarez a few pitches later, ending his night.
As far as conspiracy theories go, it’s certainly odd for a fire alarm to disrupt an MLB game. By no means is it being suggested the Reds deliberately delayed the game. That said, Gomber’s standout performance marks the second night in a row that a Cardinals pitcher carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.