Kenta Maeda's artistic expression

Twins ace Kenta Maeda took a no-hitter into the 9th inning, and it was a master class

There is nothing, I’ll continue to contend, as fun to watch in baseball than when a great pitcher is locked in. Kenta Maeda had it going Tuesday night.

Maeda pitched into the 9th inning with a no-hitter intact, when Eric Sogard hit a soft line drive that floated just out of reach of the shifted shortstop Jorge Polanco and fell softly into the outfield grass. Maeda could only smile. The eyes of the baseball world turned to him – in roughly the 7th or 8th innings, and certainly by the 9th. I wasn’t at the yard although I couldn’t help but wonder how the electricity in the dugout felt, knowing that the electricity in the rest of the park was sadly muted.

His final line: 8 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks and 12 strikeouts. It wasn’t cruise control; it was another place beyond that. Changing gears with ease, perfectly in sync with his arsenal. Maeda sliced up Milwaukee batters with sliders and changeups, earning an incredible 20 swings and misses on the two ‘secondary’ pitches on the night. Mae…