The No-Hitter Was Gone In Two Swings and Nobody In Baseball Is Ready For It

Okay, Emerald City, you will NOT believe the wildness that went down last night in Anaheim. We're talking absolute, last-gasp, baseball-is-insane kind of stuff! The Los Angeles Angels were staring down their seventh straight loss, with ZERO hits, just three outs from being no-hit for the first time since 1999. Can you even imagine that pressure? But then, BAM! Two batters later, the whole script got flipped on its head. This ain't just a win, folks, it was pure, unadulterated baseball chaos.

This Was Not Just a Win, It Was an Exorcism

Seriously, this game was a clinic in defying expectations. The Angels, who have been struggling something fierce and were on the verge of falling 16 games below .500, pulled off a stunner. After getting outscored 31-3 in a brutal three-game series against the Dodgers over the weekend, Monday night was supposed to be another brutal chapter. But Adam Frazier rips a single, and then Zach Neto, who’s been battling a slump himself, stepped up and launched a dramatic two-run homer to center. A 2-1 walk-off victory, from no-hit to hero status in a blink! You know that feeling when a massive weight just disappears? Neto felt it. He absolutely ferociously slammed his bat after that ball cleared the fence, telling reporters, "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." You love to see that kind of raw emotion! He's batting just .207 in May and .225 overall, so that eighth homer of the season, tying Jorge Soler for second on the team (Mike Trout leads with 11), had to feel incredible. Even Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the dugout vibe was optimistic, with guys "ready to rock" and believing they'd win. That belief, even when things are rough, is everything in this game.

Heartbreak on the Other Side

Now, spare a thought for the Athletics. Talk about a gut punch. Right-hander J.T. Ginn was literally on the cusp of etching his name into the record books with the franchise's first no-hitter since Mike Fiers did it in 2019. Instead, he ended up with a crushing setback, the team's sixth in the past eight games. Ginn, as classy as they come, 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." Man, that's rough. But hey, shoutout to Nick Kurtz of the A's, who keeps on chugging. He doubled in the fifth inning, extending his on-base streak to a ridiculous 41 games! That's the longest single-season stretch for the Athletics since the legendary Mark McGwire reached in 48 straight back in 1996. Kurtz is now just one behind Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx's 1933 run for the fourth-longest in A's history. That's a serious stat in any era! So what's next for these two after such an emotional rollercoaster? They're back at it tonight, Tuesday, in Anaheim. The Angels are sending left-hander Reid Detmers (1-4, 4.38 ERA) to the mound. He's had a rough patch, going 0-3 over his last five starts since beating the Yankees back on April 14, and gave up four runs (two earned) in his last outing. He's 2-1 with a 5.73 ERA in seven career appearances against the A's, and Jonah Heim has his number, going 5-for-18 against him. For the Athletics, it'll be Jacob Lopez (3-2, 5.80 ERA), another lefty, getting his first start against the Angels. He's been struggling with the long ball, serving up two homers in each of his last three outings and ten total in 40 1/3 innings this season. He got a no-decision in their 5-4 loss to the Cardinals last Thursday. You know both these teams are going to come out absolutely fired up after last night's drama. Can't wait to see what happens!

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