Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn loses no-hitter in 9th inning, then loses 2-1 to the Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Athletics starter J.T. Ginn took a no-hitter and a one-run lead into the ninth inning Monday night.

Six pitches later, he walked off the mound with a heartbreaking loss.

Adam Frazier lined a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth and Zach Neto followed with a two-run homer that gave the Los Angeles Angels a 2-1 victory, stunning Ginn and the A’s while snapping a six-game skid.

“Obviously a tough game," Ginn said. "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 lined an 0-2 pitch over shortstop for a clean single, giving Los Angeles only its third baserunner. Neto then drove a 2-0 sinker to center field for his eighth home run of the season.

“Just a crazy game to play," Ginn said. "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.”

Ginn (2-2) was trying for the first no-hitter in the majors since Shota Imanaga combined with two Chicago Cubs relievers for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024. The previous pitcher to throw a complete-game no-hitter was Blake Snell for the San Francisco Giants against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2024.

The most recent A's no-hitter was thrown by Mike Fiers in May 2019 against Cincinnati.

Ginn threw a career-high 105 pitches, 64 for strikes. He struck out 10, walked one and hit Neto with a pitch in the sixth.

The right-hander from Mississippi, who turns 27 on Wednesday, fanned all three batters in the seventh to give him 10 strikeouts — setting a career high. But he became the sixth major league pitcher since at least 1974 to allow no hits or runs in the first eight innings of a game and still take the loss. Rich Hill was the previous one, for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Pittsburgh in August 2017.

“J.T. dominated all night. For him to walk off the mound with a loss there, it hurts, obviously,” Athletics manager Mark 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.”

Kotsay had lefty Hogan Harris warming up in the bullpen during the ninth inning and planned to bring him in to face Mike Trout, who was on deck when the game ended. Kotsay hoped Ginn, whose sinker had been effective all night, could induce a groundball from Neto.

“Hindsight’s always 20-20,” Kotsay said. “It easily could have went the other direction.”

Pinch-hitter Lawrence Butler put the A's ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the top of the ninth. The A's then loaded the bases before Angels reliever Chase Silseth got slugger Nick Kurtz to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“Kurtz doesn’t hit the ball on the ground a ton and they get out of that inning and momentum shifted a little bit,” Kotsay said. "It would have been nice to add on in that inning and give (Ginn) a little more cushion.”

It was the 30th career start for Ginn, who made his major league debut in August 2024.

“He did such a phenomenal job all night keeping guys off balance. His stuff was nasty. Just kind of rolling, you know, and then it’s gut-wrenching stuff in the ninth for it to end that way. It definitely sucks right now," Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers said. "Baseball will humble you in all sorts of ways. ... It’s going to be hard to flush this one.”

The Angels haven't been no-hit since Sept. 11, 1999 — the longest active streak in the majors. In that game, they lost 7-0 at Minnesota, shut down by Twins pitcher Eric Milton.

The last visiting pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Angels in Anaheim was Rangers right-hander and Hall of Famer Burt Blyleven on Sept. 22, 1977, in a 6-0 Texas triumph.

The last A’s starting pitcher to lose a no-hitter in the ninth inning was Vida Blue against Detroit in 1976.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) is greeted by teammates after hitting a walk0ff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto (9) reacts after hitting a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto is douced after hitting a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom reacts during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The woman suspected of trying to kill a Ukrainian business tycoon in a bombing attack in Monaco last week was found dead in Ukraine with gunshot wounds to the head, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Tuesday.

A Ukrainian military intelligence officer confessed to killing the bombing suspect, Anastasiia Berezovska, with the help of a former law enforcement officer, said the security service, known as the SBU. He said he acted on his own and without the knowledge of his superiors, the SBU said.

Both men were detained on suspicion of premeditated murder.

Last week’s bombing attack at an apartment building entrance in Monaco reportedly injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a tycoon with links to Russia. A woman and a child with him were also injured. The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Authorities have not disclosed possible motives for the bombing attack, or the killing of Berezovska.

In Kyiv, the mysterious events have raised concerns among some lawmakers about how Ukraine’s Western allies are reacting to a possible assassination attempt in Monaco that is now linked to at least one member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.

“I hope it will not have a serious impact. But our allies deserve an explanation,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party.

“The unusual thing is that the perpetrators were caught so quickly. That could be interpreted as evidence of a swift and effective operation by our law enforcement agencies,” he added.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

Monaco's head of state, Prince Albert II, described last week's bombing as “an odious act.” The 39-year-old Berezovska was identified as the main suspect Interpol, which issued a so-called Red Notice seeking her arrest on charges of attempted murder and criminal conspiracy.

Yermolaiev built his fortune through the Alef Group, a diversified business that includes commercial real estate, manufacturing and agriculture. Sanctioned by Ukraine in 2023 for his Russia ties, Yermolaiev has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago.

Interpol on Tuesday said it had no immediate comment on the arrests of the Ukrainian military intelligence officer and former law enforcement officer.

The SBU said investigators had focused on the two men after discovering they had repeatedly transferred cryptocurrency and money through bank accounts to Berezovska.

Investigators said they found Berezovska’s body during a reconstruction of the crime based on one suspect’s testimony. Investigators recovered spent pistol casings at the scene, the SBU said.

Authorities said the basement of the former law enforcement officer’s home appeared to be used as a torture chamber. It was not immediately clear if this is where Berezovska’s body was found.

The SBU said it had shared all available information with authorities in Monaco and was continuing to investigate those who ordered and organized the bombing in Monaco.

Investigators examine the scene at the residential building where an explosive device seriously injured three people a day earlier in Monaco, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

This screenshot of the Interpol webpage shows a Red Notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, a suspect in the Monaco bombing that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia. (Interpol via AP)