Sardine City works overtime as playoff race tightens

Sardine City has been working overtime to try to hang on to their division lead, twice having wice played games lasting nearly 20 innings within a week.

Players of the Month: April

The first month of the 2018 season is in the books, with most teams having played anywhere from 26 to as many as 30 games (equivalent to spring training, more or less). Let's have a look at who's off to hot starts:

2017 McDonald Award winner: Johnny Cueto

Vancouver's Johnny Cueto easily held off three left-handers and was a near-unanimous selection for the 2017 Ben McDonald Award after a league-leading 22-5 mark.

2017 McDonald Award candidates

There was only one 20-game winner in the DMBL this season but wins aren't a measure of a pitcher like they once were, as SABRmetrics and other numbers have taken a more prominent place in evaluating a pitcher's season.

Richards and Martinez combine on Hillsborough's first-ever no-hitter

Garrett Richards tossed 8 2/3 no-hit innings before Carlos Martinez came on to finish off Marietta for the first no-hitter in Hillsborough history. The Hit Men dropped the Mighty Men 5-0 on Tuesday night in the league's second no-hitter this season. Vancouver's Johnny Cueto fired that franchise's first-ever no-hitter in May.

Richards finished with 10 strikeouts and four walks amid two rain delays of 14 minutes and 34 minutes, respectively. Richards retired the first two batters in the 9th before walking Oswaldo Arcia.

The Diamond Conference's All-Star starter then was lifted for Martinez, who promptly tossed a wild pitch and walked Carl Crawford before striking out Chris Coghlan to preserve the no-no.

Hillsborough scored three runs in the fourth with alternating singles and doubles and two runs in the seventh, all coming off Marietta starter Alfredo Simon, who was starting for the injured Adam Wainwright. The Hit Men managed only two extra-base hits.

Richards improved to 13-5 and lowered his ERA to 2.57, tied for 3rd in the league. He walked one in the 1st inning and retired 10 in a row between walks in the 3rd and 6th innings, and walking his final batter.

It's the 16th no-hitter in DMBL history. Nine of those have come since the 2011 season, including a record three in 2014. The first seven no-hitters in league history were tossed between 1998 and 2008. It's also the fifth combined no-no, the first since Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Motte teamed up for Sardine City in 2012.