Devern Hansack pitched no-hit ball for five innings before Sunday's game was called because of rain, giving Boston a 9-0 win over Baltimore _ but not giving the Red Sox rookie official credit for a no-hitter.
In only his second major league outing, Hansack became the ninth AL pitcher to allow no hits in a complete game of fewer than nine innings.
In September 1991, a committee chaired by then-commissioner Fay Vincent changed rules that eliminated such performances from counting as no-hitters, wiping nearly 50 of them off the books. To stand, pitchers must allow no hits in a complete game that goes at least nine innings.
Still, Hansack put quite an ending on the 2006 regular season. All other games Sunday had ended by the time this one was called.
Hansack, who pitched in Nicaraguan professional baseball the past two seasons, took the mound after a three-hour, 23-minute rain delay. The 28-year-old righty started by getting Brian Roberts to ground out to third baseman Mike Lowell.
Hansack (1-1) faced the minimum of 15 batters, allowing only Fernando Tatis to reach on a walk with one out in the second.
Chris Gomez then grounded into a double play and Hansack retired the remaining nine batters, striking out four.
Hansack began warming up to start the top of the sixth before the game was held up by rain. It was called 41 minutes later.
Hansack, who spent time in the Houston system before playing in Nicaragua, got plenty of support on a three-run homer by Lowell and solo shots by Mark Loretta and Eric Hinske.
The Red Sox failed to finish in second place for the first time in nine years as they wound up one game behind Toronto and 11 behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Blue Jays locked up second place with a 7-5 win over the Yankees that ended before the Red Sox began their game.
Hansack had spent this season helping double-A Portland to the Eastern League championship then made his first appearance in the majors for Boston on Sept. 23. He pitched five innings and took the loss against Toronto.
On Sunday, he struck out six _ including Miguel Tejada and Corey Patterson twice each. None of the other nine outs was close to a hit.
David Ortiz did not hit a homer, ending his season with an AL-high 54 when he was removed for pinch-runner Doug Mirabelli in the fourth. Ortiz walked twice after fouling out to catcher Raul Chavez in the first inning.
The Red Sox took a 3-0 lead in the first off Hayden Penn (0-4) on Lowell's 20th homer of the year after Trot Nixon singled and Mark Loretta was hit by a pitch.
They added four runs in the third off Penn, who was replaced with two outs in the inning by Julio Manon. With one out, Ortiz walked, Lowell singled and Jason Varitek struck out. Consecutive walks to Eric Hinske and Carlos Pena scored one run and Gabe Kapler doubled home three more for a 7-0 lead.
Loretta hit his fifth homer in the fourth and Hinske connected in the fifth for his first homer since joining Boston on Aug. 17 in a deal with Toronto.
Notes: The Orioles finished the season with 50 losses in their last 76 road games and a 4-14 record against the Red Sox. ... ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Curt Schilling. Gammons made his first TV appearance Sept. 20 since suffering a brain aneurysm on June 27. ... Manny Ramirez didn't play after homering Saturday in his first start in 18 games since being sidelined by a sore right knee. ... Nixon received a standing ovation when he led off the bottom of the first and again when he singled on that at bat. Nixon, who first played for the Red Sox in 1996, is the longest tenured current player on the team but the Red Sox may not re-sign him as a free agent after the season. He left the game to another ovation after briefly taking the field in the top of the fifth.
