SouthernWorldwide.com – Oakland Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn was on the verge of a historic achievement on Monday night, but it slipped away in the final inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ginn was pitching a no-hitter heading into the ninth inning. He had hoped to become the first pitcher to achieve this feat solo since Blake Snell did it for the San Francisco Giants on August 2, 2024. The last combined no-hitter was thrown by three Chicago Cubs pitchers on September 4, 2024.
The Angels managed to break up the no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth. Adam Frazier hit a single, and then Zach Neto stepped up to the plate. Neto hit a walk-off home run, giving the Angels a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Ginn’s near-perfect game was shattered in an instant. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “Obviously a tough game. Just keep your head up and keep moving forward. It’s just the nature of the game that we play. I attack the zone and I live with that.”
Frazier managed to hit a line drive over the shortstop while facing a 0-2 count. Neto, on the other hand, was ahead 2-0 in the count when he connected for the game-winning home run. Ginn acknowledged Neto’s performance, saying, “Just a crazy game to play. I fell behind 2-0, threw a good sinker, and he was waiting on it and put a good swing on it. So, tip your cap to him.”
In his outing, Ginn threw a career-high 105 pitches and recorded 10 strikeouts. He joined an exclusive group of major leaguers, becoming the sixth since 1974 to not allow any hits or runs through the first eight innings and still end up with a loss. Rich Hill was the last pitcher to experience this when he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2017.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay shared his sympathy for Ginn. “J.T. dominated all night. For him to walk off the mound with a loss there, it hurts, obviously,” Kotsay said. “He pitched probably the best game he’s pitched in his big league career, and to have an opportunity to get a no-hitter, and two hits later you walk off with a loss, it’s tough. I had full confidence in him going out there in that inning at 100 pitches and trying to get it done. It just didn’t work out.”
The Athletics’ only run of the game came in the top of the ninth inning when Lawrence Butler drove in Zack Gelof. The team managed a total of seven hits against the Angels’ pitching.
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The Los Angeles Angels have not been subjected to a no-hitter since September 11, 1999.
