In Just 4 Pitches, J.T. Ginn Loses A No-Hitter And The Game

J.T. Ginn walks off the mound after giving up a no-hitter and then a game-winning two-run homer to Zach Neto. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

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For eight innings Monday night, Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn threw 99 pitches, sixty for strikes, and recorded 24 outs. After retiring 13 straight, he walked Yoán Moncada with one out in the fifth inning. He then struck out Jo Adell and got Josh Lowe to ground back to the box to end the frame.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ginn hit Zach Neto with a 93-mph sinker before getting Mike Trout to ground out four pitches later.

He struck out the side in the seventh inning on twelve pitches. And then it took Ginn just nine more to get through the Angels in the eighth. Unfortunately, four Angels pitchers had been nearly as impressive, holding the Athletics to zero runs through the same eight innings, leaving the score 0-0.

No-hitters don’t officially count as such unless the pitcher finishes the game, and this one looked to be headed to extra innings. But in the top of the ninth, Athletics’ third baseman Zack Gelof lined a 1-1 slider into center field for a single, and then promptly stole second base. Pinch-hitter Lawrence Butler then laced a 2-2 slider into center to score the game’s first run, making things very interesting.

The next two batters walked to load the bases with one out, giving the Athletics a chance to pad their lead and take a little bit of pressure off their starting pitcher. But Nick Kurtz grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning, bringing Ginn back to the mound nursing a one-run lead.

Because Ginn had allowed two baserunners earlier in the game, the Angels would turn the lineup over and give future Hall of Famer Mike Trout another chance to bat. But first up the pitcher had to get past Adam Frazier. The Angels announcers noted that a pitcher trying to complete a no-hitter would rather face nearly anyone other than Frazier. His zone contact rate is above league average, and his chase contact percentage is well above average as well (meaning he makes contact with balls outside the strike zone approximately 20% more than the typical big leaguer). In four different seasons, Frazier has been in the top 5% in strikeout percentage (although those numbers have ticked up this season).

Ginn got ahead 0-2. Well, at that moment, Frazier was tied for second in MLB with such an unfavorable count with six hits, and was slashing .375/.412/.500 in his 16 at-bats. So, what did Frazier do with a two-strike slider? He served into center field to end the no-hit bid. Ginn was crushed, but he had to gather himself, as the tying run was now on first with the top of the order coming up.

His first pitch to shortstop Zach Neto was low and away. His second pitch was low and away but called a strike to even the count. Neto immediately challenged the call, and was proven right, making it 2-0. This is a dangerous count. Ginn had to have seen Mike Trout standing in the on-deck circle. He had to know that Neto tends to swing a lot and tends to swing and miss a lot. He also had to know to be careful with the shortstop, who is known to put a charge into one, with seven home runs on the season. But the pitcher also could not afford to fall behind 3-0 and risk putting the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base with Trout coming up. So, he grooved a 93.7-mph slider right down the middle, maybe a little on the lower side. Neto put a great swing on it. He lashed it 105.8-mph to dead center. He knew he got it, as he never let go of the bat, and watched the ball as he slowly worked his way towards first base. The ball traveled 413 feet into the hedges beyond the center field wall, giving the Angels a 2-1 victory.

With their two runs, the team still has not scored more than a pair in seven straight games. With two hits, they now have five hits or less in four of their last seven. But Neto’s home run broke the Angels’ six-game losing streak. And it broke J.T. Ginn’s heart. However, the third-year pitcher was extremely circumspect about the whole thing after the game, saying: “Tip your cap to [Neto].”

Over the course of four pitches, in an attempt to get three outs, Ginn gave up two hits and two runs, and had one loss he will remember for a long, long time.