Angels prospects throw combined no-hitter
Inland Empire's no-no is second in five days from an Angels' affiliate
The Inland Empire 66ers were unhittable in a 4-0 win over Lake Elsinore on Wednesday night.
Jason Alexander, Zac Ryan and Sean Isaac combined to throw the first no-hitter since 2007 for the Angels' Class A Advanced Affiliate. It was also the second no-hitter in the Angels' organization in the past five days as No. 8 prospect Griffin Canning led Double-A Mobile to a combined no-hitter on May 28.
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Alexander cruised through the first seven innings with what was easily his best start of the season and while Ryan struggled with command in the eighth, he kept a zero in the hit column before passing off to Isaac who finished the job.
Alexander, 25, entered the game with a 8.35 ERA this season and had surrendered either runs over his past two starts (7 2/3 innings). However, he was much sharper against the Storm. While he did walk three -- while throwing 53 of his 93 pitches for strikes -- he also struck out eight, a season-high.
Ryan had his fair share of command issues as he walked two of the first three batters he faced. The 23-year-old right-hander was able to escape the jam with a strikeout, one of two in the inning, and a lineout and hasn't surrendered a hit in back-to-back outings.
With history on the line, Isaac was the perfect pitcher for the 66ers to turn to as he's now held the opposition hitless in five of his eight appearances this season, including four in a row. Isaac walked the first batter he faced, then retired the side in order to complete the no-hitter.
Inland Empire's offense came via a pair of two-run homers as Luis Rengifo, the Angels' No. 30 prospect, hit his second homer in the third and Jordan Zimmerman went deep in the fifth.