Ixan Henderson Flirts with No-Hitter; MiLB Pitcher of the Day

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Ixan Henderson Flirts With No-Hitter for Memphis
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Ixan Henderson did not have a typical dominant pitching line Sunday afternoon.

He did not pile up strikeouts. He did not overpower Nashville with swing-and-miss stuff. He walked four batters and had to work around traffic.

But he also did something that matters most.

He did not allow a hit.

Henderson is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working 4.2 no-hit, scoreless innings in Memphis’ 7-3 win over Nashville at AutoZone Park.

His final line: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 K

That is not a line you see every day.

The four walks kept Henderson from working deeper into the game, and the lack of strikeouts makes the line unusual. But Nashville could not square him up. He kept the Sounds out of the hit column, kept runs off the board and gave Memphis exactly the kind of start it needed.

Henderson faced 17 batters, threw 62 pitches, 32 for strikes, and handed the ball off in the fifth inning with the no-hit bid still alive. Ryan Fernandez came in and stranded the inherited runner, keeping Nashville scoreless through five.

That set the tone for a Memphis win.

The Redbirds backed Henderson with a 12-hit day and plenty of pressure on the bases. Nolan Gorman hit his 11th home run of the season. Graysen Tarlow scored three runs. Leo Bernal drove in two. Ramon Mendoza doubled and drove in a run. Memphis also stole six bases, with Victor Scott II, Ramón Urías, Bernal, Colton Ledbetter, Chase Davis and Brody Moore all swiping bags.

But the pitching headline belonged to Henderson.

No hits.
No runs.
No earned runs.
A Memphis win.

It may not have been overpowering, but it was effective. Sometimes pitching is not about lighting up the strikeout column. Sometimes it is about avoiding barrels, working through trouble and keeping the other team off the scoreboard.

That is what Henderson did.

He flirted with a no-hitter, gave Memphis a chance to build a lead, and helped the Redbirds get back in the win column.

That earns the spotlight.

Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Ixan Henderson, LHP, Memphis Redbirds
Final Line: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 K

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Ixan Henderson, Memphis Redbirds | MLB