Hooker tosses five no-hit innings
The right-hander tossed five no-hit innings in Class A Quad Cities' 4-3, 10-inning win over visiting Clinton. He struck out eight -- his highest total since fanning 11 on Aug. 8, 2008 -- and did not walk a batter.
The only flaws in the outing were a hit batsman in the third inning and a fielding error in the fifth. He faced one over the minimum.
Hooker, a seventh-round Draft pick in 2007, matched his longest outing of the season and lowered his ERA to 1.50 over 24 innings. He has fanned 32 and walked eight while holding Midwest League hitters to a .165 average.
The native of San Diego retired the first seven batters he faced before plunking LumberKings center fielder Matthew Cerione with one out in the third. That threat was erased with a strikeout, throwout double play to end the inning.
With one out in the fifth inning, Hooker mishandled a comebacker from Clinton outfielder Welington Dotel, who was making his season debut. Dotel stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Robert Stock, but was stranded there.
Reliever Scott Schneider took over for Hooker in the sixth and yielded a two-out double to shortstop Nick Franklin for Clinton's first hit. He ran into trouble with two outs in the eighth, issuing three walks and a wild pitch. He walked in a run, then Jesse Simpson (3-0) gave up a two-run game-tying single.
Quad Cities earned the walk-off win in the 10th by taking advantage of a single, two Clinton errors and a bases-loaded walk to catcher Robert Stock. Jose Jimenez (1-2) took the loss.
Leadoff man D'Marcus Ingram went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, his second of the season for Quad Cities.
Editor's note: Dotel's bunt back to Hooker in the fifth inning was originally scored an error on Hooker but has been changed to a hit. Therefore, Hooker actually pitched five one-hit innings.