Verlander Nearly Pitches Third No-Hitter Two outs were all that separated Justin Verlander from yet another rare achievement - and an exclusive club that includes Cy Young, Nolan Ryan and only three other pitchers. With the crowd on its feet in anticipation of Verlander's third no-hitter, the Detroit ace threw a sharp breaking ball, just off the outside corner. Josh Harrison stuck his bat out and flicked a soft line drive agonizingly toward center field. "That's why throwing no-hitters is so difficult," Verlander said. It doesn't take a hard one, it just takes the right placement. Harrison's ninth-inning single broke up Verlander's latest no-hit bid, but the powerful right-hander was brilliant again for the Tigers, striking out 12 in a 6-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Verlander allowed two walks and settled for his first career one-hitter. He nearly became the sixth major leaguer to throw at least three no-hitters. Verlander also fell just short of the third no-hitter in the majors already this season. Philip Humber pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox at Seattle on April 21, and Jered Weaver tossed a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels against Minnesota on May 2. The adrenaline is like nothing else. You don't really feel anything. My legs were just kind of tingling," Verlander said. Everything's amplified in that situation. You're like, "Man, I don't want to throw the wrong one." But you've just got to trust your instincts and go with what you feel. Four of the five pitchers with at least three no-hitters are in the Hall of Fame: Ryan (seven), Sandy Koufax (four), Bob Feller (three) and Young (three). Larry Corcoran, an ambidextrous pitcher who won 177 games from 1880-85, is the other one. TWINS 11, BREWERS 3 Scott Diamond gave up a run in the first - ending a 14-inning scoreless stretch he put together in two starts since he was called up from the minors - but won his third straight, as Minnesota hammered host Milwaukee. MARINERS 4, ROCKIES 0 Kevin Millwood tossed a two-hitter for his first shutout in nearly nine years and Mike Carp hit a solo homer, helping visiting Seattle beat Colorado. ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 1 Nick Markakis homered into the second deck in right field to lift visiting Baltimore over Washington in 11 innings. PHILLIES 6, RED SOX 4 Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings, and Hunter Pence and Freddy Galvis homered to lead host Philadelphia to its sixth straight victory. DIAMONDBACKS 6, ROYALS 4 Miguel Montero piled up three runs batted in, driving in the go-ahead runs with an eighth-inning double as visiting Arizona beat Kansas City. BRAVES 5, RAYS 3 Tommy Hanson pitched seven effective innings, and Freddie Freeman drove in two runs as Atlanta beat host Tampa Bay. RANGERS 4, ASTROS 1 Adrian Beltre homered and drove in two runs, as Texas won in Houston. MARLINS 3, INDIANS 2 Carlos Zambrano pitched seven strong innings to help host Miami beat Cleveland.