Zach Neto hit a dramatic two-run homer in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Angels stunned the Athletics 2-1 on Monday night at Angel Stadium, ending J.T. Ginn’s no-hit bid and snapping a six-game losing streak.
The Athletics stood three outs away from a combined shutout and Ginn was closing in on one of baseball’s rarest accomplishments before the Angels finally broke through. Adam Frazier opened the bottom of the ninth with a clean single to center field for Los Angeles’ first hit of the night. Two pitches later, Neto delivered the decisive swing.
Neto crushed a 2-0 sinker from Ginn deep to center field for a walk-off homer that immediately erased Oakland’s late lead and flipped the game in the Angels’ favor. The blast traveled 413 feet and gave Los Angeles its third walk-off win of the season.
The dramatic ending wasted one of the strongest pitching performances of Ginn’s young career and continued a difficult stretch for the Athletics, who failed to capitalize on a dominant effort from their starter.
Ginn Dominates Through Eight Innings
For most of the night, Ginn controlled the Angels lineup with precision and power.
The right-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced and mixed his sinker and slider effectively throughout the game. Los Angeles struggled to make solid contact and rarely threatened offensively.
Ginn carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before issuing a walk. Even after losing perfection, he maintained the no-hitter and kept the Angels off balance with aggressive pitching in the strike zone.
He struck out 10 batters and threw 105 pitches in what looked poised to become a career-defining performance.
The Athletics starter also hit Neto with a pitch during the sixth inning, but otherwise kept the Angels lineup completely silent until the final frame.
By the ninth inning, Ginn stood three outs away from recording the first major league no-hitter since September 2024.
Instead, the night unraveled quickly.
Neto Changes Everything
The Angels entered the ninth inning trailing 1-0 despite managing only one baserunner after the fifth.
Frazier immediately changed the mood inside Angel Stadium when he lined a clean single to center field on the first pitch of the inning. The hit ended Ginn’s no-hit bid and energized a crowd that had spent most of the night watching Oakland control the game.
Neto followed moments later.
After falling behind in the count, Ginn left a sinker over the plate and Neto attacked it. The shortstop drove the ball deep to center field, and the moment it left the bat, the dugout reacted immediately.
The ball cleared the wall and ended the game.
Neto’s homer not only secured the victory but also capped one of the sharpest emotional swings of the season for the Angels. Minutes earlier, the team appeared headed toward another frustrating loss during a difficult stretch.
Instead, the Angels celebrated a comeback win after recording only two hits all night.
Athletics Waste Late Opportunity
Oakland finally broke the scoreless tie during the top of the ninth inning.
Zack Gelof reached base and later scored on a pinch-hit RBI single from Lawrence Butler. The Athletics seemed positioned to secure a low-scoring victory after finally solving the Angels bullpen.
The inning could have produced even more.
Ryan Zeferjahn walked the bases loaded before Chase Silseth entered and escaped further damage by inducing a game-ending double play from slugger Nick Kurtz.
That sequence kept the deficit at one run and gave the Angels a final opportunity in the bottom half of the inning.
Los Angeles took full advantage.
Ureña Continues Strong Stretch
Lost beneath the late drama was another encouraging outing from Angels starter Walbert Ureña.
The right-hander delivered six scoreless innings and continued showing signs of growth within the rotation. Ureña allowed four hits while striking out four and consistently worked out of trouble with efficient pitching.
He matched Ginn for most of the night and gave the Angels a chance to remain competitive despite their offensive struggles.
The Athletics threatened several times against Ureña but failed to capitalize during key moments. Los Angeles also received important relief work before the ninth inning tightened dramatically.
While Ginn dominated headlines for most of the evening, Ureña quietly delivered one of his better starts of the season.
Kurtz Extends Historic Streak
Even in defeat, Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz continued his remarkable run at the plate.
Kurtz doubled during the fifth inning to extend his on-base streak to 41 consecutive games. The streak tied Eddie Joost for the sixth-longest in Athletics franchise history.
It also matched Kyle Schwarber’s streak from last season as the longest active stretch in Major League Baseball over the past four years.
Kurtz nearly delivered another major moment in the ninth inning, but grounded into the inning-ending double play after Silseth entered with the bases loaded.
That missed opportunity became far more costly after Neto’s homer moments later.
Angels End Slide
The victory allowed the Angels to halt a six-game losing streak and avoid another damaging late-game collapse.
Los Angeles has struggled badly over the past several weeks, but Monday’s win offered a rare positive moment for a club searching for momentum. The Angels managed only two hits, yet still found a way to win through timely execution in the final inning.
For Oakland, the loss stung because of how close Ginn came to history.
The Athletics controlled nearly every inning before the ninth. They received elite starting pitching and finally pushed across a late run. None of it held up after Neto’s swing changed the outcome instantly.
Up Next
The four-game series continues Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez is scheduled to face Angels left-hander Reid Detmers in the second game of the series.
