Matt Garza Relishing Attention Over No-No

Matt Garza Relishing Attention Over No-No

The no-hitters may be piling up, but they aren’t losing their luster. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza threw the season’s fifth no-no on Monday night, doing so while facing the minimum 27 batters. It earned him a spot on just about every media outlet that could get in touch with him on Tuesday. The trick will be leaving that attention behind as the week drags on. Garza, who surely hadn’t been pitching like a guy ready to throw a no-hitter, must put his feat — the first for the Rays — behind him as he quickly gears up for the New York Yankees. Matt Garza joined WDAE in Tampa with Steve Duemig to reflect on his no-hitter, the pitch that cost him a perfect game and what he’s going to do to put the no-hitter behind him quickly.

On facing the minimum amount of batters:

“I thought that was pretty cool and I knew I was facing the minimum. Every inning I was like, ‘OK, 7, 8, 9 [hitters]. 1, 2, 3. 4, 5, 6. 7, 8, 9.’ … And then it hit me last night when I was sitting in a chair up at my house. I was one pitch away from being perfect.”

On pitch that cost him perfect game:

“It was a fastball down and away to [Brennan] Boesch in the second inning and I walked him. I think about it as, if I walk him, maybe that [double-play ball] gets by [Evan Longoria.]“

On differences from last week when he gave up back-to-back-to-back homers to this week’s no-hitter:

“Fastball command. My pitches were down the middle when I wanted them away and that’s it. It wasn’t much. … It’s kind of one of the defining moments. I can either pitch around it … or say, ‘You know what, I’ve thrown heaters all game, why not finish it the way I started it?’”

On whether he can take that fastball mentality with him going forward:

“Yeah. It’s funny. You say you can’t do it with every lineup, but I feel I can. I feel like I can throw heaters to everybody. If I put them in the right spot, I can do it.”

On putting the no-hitter behind him quickly:

“I enjoyed it last night and I’m enjoying it today. Today, after batting practice, I have to go back to work. I have to get in the weight room and get ready for the next outing.”