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Spokane Indians

Count the 1981 Spokane Indians among those tormented by former Red Sox ace Luis Tiant, who died Tuesday at age 83

Luis Tiant, longtime Red Sox ace who died Tuesday, came within one out of back-to-back no-hitters while pitching for Portland against the Spokane Indians in 1981.  (Getty Images)
From staff and wire reports

From staff and wire reports

Luis Tiant, the Cuban-born ace with a unique delivery, who twice led the American League in ERA and threw a shutout for the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 World Series, has died, according to the Red Sox. He was 83 years old.

El Tiante, as he was known, was an icon in Cuba long before he made a name for himself in the major leagues, and he ranks among the game’s most accomplished pitchers not elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. With a signature windup that had him turn his back to the batter, Tiant overcame injuries to record 49 career shutouts, 229 wins and 2,416 strikeouts.

The Spokane Indians got to see Tiant up close in 1981 when the majors went on strike and the free-agent pitcher was lured to Portland to play for the Triple-A Beavers of the Pacific Coast League.

In back-to-back starts against Spokane, Tiant was nearly perfect.

On April 17, 1981, Tiant tossed a no-hitter at Spokane, then six days later came within one out of throwing another no-hitter against the Indians in Portland. Spokane first baseman Jim Maler’s double to right in the top of the seventh and final inning broke up Tiant’s bid.

“It was a fastball up,” Tiant told the Associated Press of the pitch to Maler. “I pitched him up and away the whole game, just like I wanted. He got his bat on it.”

Tiant finished 13-7 that season.

“He came back to Portland after the no-hitter and you’d think it was a chance to draw people, but we didn’t,” Beavers owner David Hersh said in 1981. “The major league strike was over and he wanted to go back to the bigs.”

The Athletic contributed to this report.