‘A special game for a catcher to be a part of’: Miguel Amaya plays an important role in the Chicago Cubs’ combined no-hitter

Miguel Amaya covered his face with his catcher’s mitt to hide the tears rolling down, overcome with emotion as the Chicago Cubs went through their postgame handshake line.

Moments earlier, Amaya and reliever Porter Hodge hugged in celebration of the Cubs completing a combined no-hitter with Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Hodge blanking the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-0 on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

Amaya’s work behind the plate, something that has been lauded by the pitching staff since he debuted last year, played a big role in navigating the no-hitter.

“It means a lot,” Amaya said. “A lot of work, a lot of writing down notes, doing reports, studying each batter from the opposite side. Feeling comfortable, feeling that confidence that every button I was putting it was the right way to execute. I can put a button down, but if they don’t execute the pitch, nothing’s going to happen so they did their thing too.”

Amaya became the 13th Cubs catcher in the modern era, since 1901, to be part of a no-hitter and only the sixth to do it at Wrigley Field, joining Clyde McCullough (1955), Del Rice (1960), Bill Heath/Gene Oliver (1969) and Randy Hundley (twice in 1972).

“It feels so special and emotional,” Amaya said.

The combined no-hitter adds an achievement to Amaya’s resume in his 121st big-league start, and for the 25-year-old catcher, it’s another piece of a remarkable journey. He is the third Panamanian to catch a no-hitter, a group that includes Carlos Ruiz (four times with the Phillies) and Manny Sanguillén (1969 with the Pirates).

“It’s just as significant for the catcher, it really is,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s rightfully very proud. It’s a special game for a catcher to be a part of.”

Second baseman Nico Hoerner has witnessed Amaya’s evolution, especially the last two years. While Amaya’s offensive production the last six weeks has understandably garnered a lot of attention after ditching a leg kick for a toe-tap, Hoerner appreciates how much pride Amaya takes in being the staff’s starting catcher.

“He’s definitely someone who embodies everything you want from a team leader behind the plate,” Hoerner said. “Even though he’s on the younger side, just how much he prioritizes the pitchers and winning and taking care of the staff is a big deal to him and means a lot to us.”

Photos: Shota Imanaga and 2 relievers combine for no-hitter in Chicago Cubs’ 12-0 win

There were limited moments of trouble the trio of pitchers had to work around to complete the no-hitter. Two walks in the second inning by Imanaga resulted in a mound visit from pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, and two errors by third baseman Isaac Paredes created traffic on the base paths for Imanaga in the sixth. But Amaya helped the lefty deftly navigate both situations, and he guided Pearson and Hodge through perfect frames over the final two innings.

“His growth in so many ways this season has been really, really cool to be a part of,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “Whether it’s offensively, I think we’ve all seen the jumps and strides that he’s made, but also behind the plate. I mean, that’s a big responsibility for a young guy to learn how to handle staff, how to understand how their stuff moves, how to get to know and learn guys and how to get the best out of them — whether it’s sequencing, pitches or suggestions on how to get hitters out all that kind of stuff.

“He’s really taking responsibility and pride in being that guy.”