Astros fall one out shy of no-hitter

The Greeneville Astros retired the first 16 batters and came within one out of a combined no-hitter Friday, settling for a 1-0 blanking of the Danville Braves and a sweep of their doubleheader.

Venezuelan left-hander Gabriel Garcia struck out two over four innings in just his third Appalachian League start and 34th-round pick Ryan Cole (3-1) fanned one in the fifth. After Jason Mowry fouled out leading off the sixth, Keenan Wiley became the Braves' first baserunner when he reached on second baseman Ricardo Garcia's error.

Cole got pinch-hitter Jakob Dalfonso to bounce into an inning-ending double play and the Astros faced the minimum heading to the seventh and final frame.

Brian Streilein -- Houston's 37th-round pick in the 2010 Draft -- retired the first two batters, but Barrett Kleinknecht drew a one-out walk and Evan Gattis broke up the no-hitter with a single to left field. With the tying run at second, Streilein got Ryan Delgado to fly out for his second save.

Greeneville's lone run came in the fifth inning when first-round pick Delino DeShields scored on a wild pitch by starter Tyler Hess (0-1).

The no-hitter would have been the first in the Appalachian League since Danville's Cory Rasmus beat Princeton, 13-0, in the first game of a doubleheader last Aug. 11.