Angels Were Three Outs From Being NO-HIT, And Zach Neto Made The A's Pay The Ultimate Price

Okay, you guys, did you SEE Monday night's game?! Like, seriously, what just happened? The Los Angeles Angels, who have been spiraling hard, were staring down a SEVENTH straight loss. Not only that, they hadn't even scratched out a single hit against the Athletics in the series opener. We're talking three outs away from a no-hitter, a complete and utter humiliation. Then, out of nowhere, two batters later, everything got flipped on its head in the most insane way possible. Talk about a gut punch for the A's!

The Unbelievable Angels Comeback That Shook Anaheim

These Angels, who are literally the worst team in MLB right now, pulled off a miracle. Adam Frazier broke up the no-hit bid with a single, and then Zach Neto, who has been in a slump hitting .207 in May and .225 overall, stepped up and absolutely CRUSHED a two-run walk-off homer to center! Just like that, a 2-1 victory, and they avoided falling 16 games below .500. Can you believe it? The dude slammed his bat into the ground with pure fury, and honestly, who could blame him? He tied Jorge Soler for second on the Angels with his eighth bomb of the season, though Mike Trout still leads them with 11. Neto said it best, "That was a heavy one, you know. Six-game losing streak. That one was big for us, not only me but for the team. Just to be able to get it off our shoulders and go to sleep good and be able to enjoy it and come in (Tuesday) with a better attitude and know that we still trust each other." Manager Kurt Suzuki even said the dugout vibe was optimistic despite being on the verge of the team's first no-hitter since 1999. "Guys were up. They're ready to rock," he said. "They believed we were going to win that game."

A's Devastation and a Record-Breaking Streak

On the flip side, you gotta feel for the Athletics. Right-hander J.T. Ginn was on the verge of the franchise's first no-hitter since Mike Fiers threw one in 2019. Instead, he ended up with a crushing setback, which marked the team's sixth loss in their past eight games. Ginn took it in stride, saying, "Obviously, it's a tough game. It's just the nature of the game that we play. I attacked the zone (on Neto), and I'll live with that." Ouch. Adding to the drama, Nick Kurtz did manage to double in the fifth inning, extending his incredible streak of reaching base to 41 games! That's the longest single-season stretch for the Athletics since Mark McGwire's 48 straight in 1996, and Kurtz is now just one behind Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx from 1933 for fourth-longest in A's history. Absolutely wild. Now, for Tuesday night, we've got a pair of lefties squaring off. Angels' Reid Detmers (1-4, 4.38 ERA) takes on Jacob Lopez (3-2, 5.80) for the A's. Detmers has been struggling, 0-3 over his last five starts since April 14, and he's 2-1 with a 5.73 ERA in seven career appearances against the A's. Lopez, meanwhile, has given up two homers in each of his last three outings. What's on the line for Tuesday's game? The Angels are riding high on an emotional victory, and they'll be looking to carry that momentum forward. The A's, on the other hand, are going to be absolutely fuming, desperate for revenge after that heartbreaker. Expect fireworks, folks, because after Monday night, you know these teams aren't going quietly.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.