Trevor Bauer strikes out 10 in six innings in third start with Ducks

Trevor Bauer was in Pennsylvania last Sunday, showing off his no-hit material vs. the Lancaster Stormers, firing a seven-inning no-no for the Ducks. Now the Cy Young Award winner with the 2020 Reds was back in Central Islip, making his next pitch for another MLB contract.

Could he imitate another former Cincinnati pitcher, Johnny Vander Meer, and throw back-to-back no-hitters?

He could not.

Bauer lost his no-hitter and shutout in the second against the Lexington Legends, a team that had no hitters with major-league experience.

But the 35-year-old righty with 10 major-league seasons behind him did pitch very effectively again in a 6-1 win. Bauer allowed one run, six hits and no walks and fanned 10 over six innings Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,146 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

“I thought I threw pretty well tonight,” Bauer said after signing autographs. “Velocity was up, touched at least 98, if not higher. I threw 94 sidearm, which was kind of cool. Got my double-digit punchouts, which was the goal tonight. Sweeper was sharp, threw a really good splitter.”

While Bauer didn’t get to be the next Vander Meer — who pitched his nine-inning masterpieces in 1938, becoming the only major leaguer to throw consecutive no-hitters — he would surely still like to be the next Henry Kusiak. The Ducks’ infielder-outfielder had his contract purchased Wednesday by a major-league organization — the Twins.

Bauer, now 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA through three starts for the 7-4 Ducks, has gone unsigned by the majors since the Dodgers released him in January of 2023. That followed his 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s policy on domestic violence and sexual assault. He pitched in Japan in 2023, Mexico in 2024 and Japan again in 2025.

“I’m so over the frustration with it,” Bauer said. “It’s been five years now. It is what it is. So I’m just trying to pitch, have fun, make cool (social media) content for the fans, entertain the people, enjoy the game of baseball. No one can stop me from doing that.

“They can take $400 million away from me and my entire career and whatever else, but they can’t stop me from entertaining fans and trying to make the sport better, impacting people. So that’s what I’m focused on.”

And if Bauer receives another shot at the majors?

“He would help a team,” Ducks pitching coach Bobby Blevins said. “He’s got the experience. He’s got the knowledge. He knows how to pitch. His arsenal is plus stuff. His fastball is there. And he’s a competitor.”

This third start came came on Frank Boulton Appreciation Night. Boulton founded the Atlantic League and the Ducks. His ownership ended when REV Entertainment bought the team in January. There were pregame ceremonies in his honor.

“It’s very humbling, obviously,” Boulton said beforehand. “I have a lot of mixed emotions, but the time was right and I chose the right people.”

Bauer has left a positive impression on Boulton.

“Buddy Harrelson used to sit, wherever we were, until the last person got an autograph,” Boulton said of the late Ducks co-owner and Mets shortstop. “I haven’t seen that until I saw Trevor. So I respect that. He’s upbeat, and he loves the game of baseball.”

When he was done, Bauer had thrown 69 of his 101 pitches for strikes. He had six Ks after two innings.

As Bauer put it, “It was a great night.”