Derek Lowe

Lowe no-hit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park on April 27 that year, becoming the first pitcher to do so at Fenway Park since Dave Morehead in 1965.

Lowe faced just one over the minimum in the game; only a third inning walk to Brent Abernathy separated Lowe from a perfect game.

Additionally, Lowe was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game that year.

Derek Christopher Lowe (born June 1, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

During his career, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.

The Seattle Mariners drafted Lowe in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB draft.

He signed with the Mariners on June 7, 1991, forgoing his college scholarship.

The Mariners immediately assigned him to their rookie league team, where he went 5–3 with a 2.41 earned run average (ERA) in 12 starts.

He spent the next several years working his way through several minor league teams: 1992 – Single-A Bellingham (7–3, 2.42 – 13 starts), 1993 – Single-A Riverside (12–9, 5.26, 26 starts), 1994 – Double-A Jacksonville (7–10, 4.94, 26 starts), 1995 – Double-A Port City (1–6, 6.08, 10 starts), 1996 – Triple-A Tacoma (6–9, 4.54, 16 starts).

Lowe made his MLB debut in 1997.

Lowe made his major league debut on April 26, 1997, working 3 2⁄3 innings in relief against the Toronto Blue Jays.

He made his first major league start on May 27 against the Minnesota Twins, giving up four runs in five innings.

His first career win came on June 6 against the Detroit Tigers, pitching 5 1⁄3 innings and giving up 3 runs in the Mariners' 6–3 victory.

Seattle, however, was desperate for immediate bullpen help, and packaged Lowe and catcher Jason Varitek into a deal with the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.

The trade on July 31 by Mariners' vice president Woody Woodward is considered one of the most lopsided in MLB history.

Lowe compiled a 5–15 record over his first two seasons, during which he split time starting and relieving, but came into his own in 1999 after being transferred into the closer's role, finishing the season with 15 saves and a 2.63 ERA.

Lowe had his best season as a closer in 2000 when he led the American League with 42 saves, to go along with a 2.56 ERA.

Despite recording 24 saves early in the 2001 season, Lowe lost the closer's job soon after the trading deadline when the Red Sox acquired Ugueth Urbina.

Lowe was left in limbo, demoted to various setup jobs in the bullpen.

Instead he asked manager Joe Kerrigan to return him to the starting rotation; Kerrigan agreed, and Lowe pitched 16 innings as a starter before the end of the season.

He threw a no-hitter for the Red Sox in 2002.

The following year, 2002, was Lowe's coming out party as a starter, as he posted a 21–8 record to go with a 2.58 ERA, finishing third in Cy Young Award voting behind Barry Zito and Lowe's teammate Pedro Martínez.

Lowe posted a 17–7 record despite a 4.47 ERA in 2003.

He recorded an improbable save in deciding Game 5 of the 2003 American League Division Series, helped by two clutch strikeouts.

In the 2004 post-season he had a 3–0 win–loss record as he helped lead Boston to its first World Series championship in 86 years.

Lowe attended Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, Michigan, where he was a four-sport letterman in baseball, golf, soccer, and basketball.

He was an All-League honoree in all four sports, and was a first-team all-state pick in basketball.

Lowe committed to attend Eastern Michigan University on a basketball scholarship.

In 2004, he finished 14–12 with a 5.42 ERA in 33 starts.

During the postseason he rebounded with a 3–0 record and 1.86 ERA in four games, three of them starts.

He was the winner in the final game of all three postseason series—American League Division Series against the Anaheim Angels (pitching in relief), the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, and the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals (where he threw shutout ball for 7 innings in Game 4, to defeat Jason Marquis) — as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.

On January 11, 2005, Lowe finalized a $36 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite his signing with a new team, Lowe wore a Red Sox uniform, with his career-long number of 32, during the Red Sox World Series ring ceremony on April 11, 2005, after already making a start for the Dodgers.

On August 31, 2005, Lowe pitched an unusual one-hitter.

After giving up a leadoff single to the Cubs' Jerry Hairston Jr.., Lowe did not allow another Chicago hit, picking up a one-hit, two-walk, 7–0 complete game victory while facing only 29 batters.

All-time pitching great Greg Maddux had a storied 23 year major league career, during which he was twice traded during a season - both times to the Dodgers, once in 2006, the other in his final season of 2008.

Each time Maddux joined the Dodgers, Lowe performed visibly better afterwards.

For the 2008 season, after being the opening day starter for the Dodgers for the last three years, he was moved to the second starting position, behind Brad Penny.

Lowe was chosen by manager Joe Torre to start Game 1 of the National League Championship series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 9, 2008.

Lowe opened the game with five scoreless innings.