The Venezuelan Joshua Cornielly I knew I was in good hands with an old teammate at catcher.
Throwing to his compatriot Francisco Álvarez, who is rehabilitating in the minorsthe prospect retired the final nine batters to complete a nine-inning no-hitter for Class-A Upper Brooklyn.
Right-hander Dakota Hawkins started the historic match and completed five stretches. Right-hander Joey Lancellotti took charge of the next episode and Cornielly was responsible for the final three, thus being the first no-hitter for the Cyclones since they completed seven such innings on August 23, 2009.
For Cornielly, having a familiar face behind the plate was key to helping him stay calm and minimize the pressure he felt around him.
“Alvi is a good friend and we have been teammates since 2019,” said the pitcher from Caracas. “We’ve worked a lot in the past, so I felt comfortable with him there today.”
The 23-year-old right-hander, who has 26 strikeouts in 20 innings this season, fanned three to secure his sixth save.
“I was focusing on one pitch at a time,” Cornielly said. “I knew I was going into a no-hitter when I got on the mound, but I trusted Francisco and tried to make the perfect pitch when necessary.”
Alvarez, who hit 26 home runs in his rookie season with the Mets last year, has been out since April 19 when he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, which needed to be repaired with surgery. He began a rehab assignment on June 1 and has already appeared in three games with Double-A Binghamton.
The 22-year-old guard hopes to join the Mets next week, when the club returns from the London Series against the Phillies.
But in the meantime, the Guatire native helped one of his former squads make a little history.
