Peoria Chiefs right-hander Paul Balestrieri will likely remember Thursday night for a long time to come after he twirled a no-hitter for the Cardinals' Class A affiliate in its 8-0 victory over the Kane County Cougars.
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Balestrieri, 23, struck out six and faced just one batter over the minimum as a first-inning fielding error by Peoria first baseman Yariel Gonzalez was the only thing standing between the righty and a perfect game. That error came with two outs in the opening frame, and Balestrieri proceeded to retire the last 25 batters he faced in order to complete the no-no. He achieved the feat primarily with help from his infielders, recording 15 groundouts to five flyouts and completing his feat over an even 100 pitches (65 strikes).
Balestrieri struck out Cougars right fielder Gabriel Maciel on a full count to complete the 10th no-hitter in the Chiefs' history, which dates back to 1983. After beginning 2018 with Class A Advanced Palm Beach, Balestrieri is now 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA over five outings (and four starts) with Peoria.