Braves Rookie Aj Smith-shawver Takes No-hit Bid Into 8th Inning Against Reds

AJ Smith-Shawver was rolling right along when he realized his Atlanta Braves teammates were beginning to avoid him.

They had a good reason. The 22-year-old rookie right-hander hadn't given up a hit against the Cincinnati Reds - and the rest of the Braves didn't want to jinx him.

After pitching into the eighth inning for the first time as a professional, Smith-Shawver wasn't quite able to complete the no-hitter Monday night in his 11th major league start - and 70th overall since getting drafted in 2021. But his only blemish in a 4-0 win was Santiago Espinal's sharp single to center field leading off the eighth.

"I probably started like really kind of noticing in the fifth, and everybody really got away from me sixth and seventh. And I was like, OK, this is real," Smith-Shawver said. "Just trying to go out there and execute pitches, just do the same thing I've been doing, but just with a little bit more adrenaline."

Braves fans gave Smith-Shawver a nice ovation after he gave up the hit, and another when he walked off the field after inducing a double play to end the eighth on his 99th and final pitch.