Angels Narrowly Avoid Being No-Hit In Loss To Blue Jays

Matt Levine | Aug 24, 2024

Entering the 9th inning of Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angels Angels were on the verge of being no-hit by starter Bowden Francis. Francis mowed down the Angels lineup all day, striking out 12 batters in the process.

But outfielder Taylor Ward saved the day with a lead-off home run to break up the no-hit bid. It ended up being the only hit for the Angels but it kept them out of making some unfortunate MLB history.

Taylor Ward breaks up Bowden Francis' no-hit bid with a homer in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/529bqwuEmc

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2024

Francis had hit the 116 pitch mark when he gave up the home run to Ward. He completely dominated the Angels lineup throughout the day, helping the Blue Jays claim the third game of the three-game series.

The Angels had just faced off against Francis in Anaheim back on Aug. 12. He pitched seven innings, allowing just one run, one hit, and striking out eight batters.

It seems that the 28-year-old right-hander has the Angels' number this season. He was named the American League Player of the Week last week after going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.64 over two starts.

Coming into the game, Francis owed a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 4.38 for the season. This performance against the Angels was special and he received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd before walking off the field.

The Angels now hold a record of 54-76 on the season, sitting in last place within the American League West. Not much has gone right for the Angels this season but Ward came up clutch for the team.

On the year, the outfielder has hit .237 with 17 home runs and 58 runs batted in. He has been a nice surprise for the Angels despite their troubles this year.

The Angels starter in this game, Carson Fulmer, looked decent but his offense couldn't muster anything. He allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings of work. The right-hander also struck out eight batters and walked just two.

Los Angeles has dropped the first three games of their series with the Blue Jays and will look to avoid being swept tomorrow. It hasn't been a good year for the Angels at all but thankfully, they didn't add getting no-hit to that list.