ANAHEIM -- The Angels went from nearly being no-hit to pulling off an unlikely ninth-inning rally, with Zach Neto connecting on a game-winning two-run blast.
They came into the ninth inning being no-hit by right-hander J.T. Ginn, only for Adam Frazier to break up the no-hitter with a single to left-center. It set the stage for Neto’s walk-off blast to give the Angels a much-needed 2-1 win on Monday in the series opener.
It snapped the club’s losing streak at six games, although they still haven’t scored more than two runs in any of their last seven contests. The Angels have now gone 4,227 consecutive games, including postseason, without being no-hit. That’s the longest active streak in MLB and the 15th-longest all-time.
There has still not been an MLB no-hitter since a combined effort by three Cubs pitchers against the Pirates on Sept. 4, 2024.
Neto's two-run shot came after the A’s had scored in the ninth inning off reliever Ryan Zeferjahn to give Ginn a chance to complete the no-hitter. But he gave up the homer on his 105th pitch of the night.
The Angels received another strong pitching performance from rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña, who held the A’s scoreless for six innings. He scattered four hits and two walks to lower his ERA to 2.70 in 33 1/3 innings this season. It was his first career start in which he didn’t allow a run.
Ureña leaned heavily on his changeup, throwing it 41 times compared to 30 sinkers, and registered 12 swings and misses with the pitch. He also got three whiffs with his sweeper, but didn’t get any with his sinker or four-seamer.