Angels Walk It Off! Zach Neto’s Heroic Home Run Stuns the A's

The Angels entered the bottom of the ninth inning being no hit and won the game two batters later.

May 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) hits a two run walk off home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Angels entered the bottom of the ninth inning being no hit and won the game two batters later. Facing the prospect of a fourth straight loss and their second shutout in four games, the Angels did not appear to be in good shape to secure a win. Thanks to a strong performance by the pitching staff and the bat of Zach Neto they were able to get a 2-1 victory.

Walbert Urena and Sam Bachman were great tonight.

Walbert Urena and Sam Bachman combined for 8 shutout innings tonight. They needed to be perfect as the Angels offense was non existent.

Urena was great as a starter and went 6 innings despite poor defense behind him. Yoan Moncada misplayed a bouncer that was going to be a tough out. Then Zach Neto made a routine error on the next batter. Both of these mishaps came with two outs in the top of the third and made Urena throw extra pitches.

Bachman entered a 0-0 game and kept it that way. Perry Minasian's first overall draft pick is looking good out of the Angels bullpen. In his two innings he struck out two, walked none, and gave up only one hit.

J.T. Ginn was the story until he wasn't.

The A's J.T. Ginn was dominant through eight innings tonight. Already facing a new career high in pitches but also throwing a no hitter, Ginn was left in to start the 9th inning. Over the course of those eight innings he struck out 10 Angels and only walked one.

After giving up a leadoff single to Adam Frazier to start the bottom of the ninth, Ginn was left in to face Zach Neto who was 0 for 3 with a strikeout in the game.

Zach Neto walked it off for the Angels.

On his 105th pitch of the night, Ginn finally made a mistake. In a prolonged slump but with plenty of pop, Zach Neto pounced on the mistake and sent it over the wall for a walk off two run home run.

NEVER IN DOUBT 😤 pic.twitter.com/jk3wA2Lt4P

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 19, 2026

Craziest momentum swing of the 2026 season.

The fact it was a scoreless game until the A's pushed a run across in the top of the 9th inning made the game tense. Yes, the Angels were being no hit but the team was also one swing away from taking a lead. It also made every out by an Angels pitcher so much more meaningful.

But at some point during a shutout fans can get the sense the zero is coming and from about the sixth inning on that was the case. The Angels offense was simply miserable and the first no hitter in eons seemed imminent.

Most fans watching in the bottom of the ninth inning were just hoping to avoid the no hitter. Two batters later Angels fans were celebrating a win. It is difficult to get a bigger ebb and flow in the space of two batters in a baseball game.