The Angels Threw A Combined No-Hitter And Honored Tyler Skaggs In An Emotional Postgame Celebration


Getty Image

No-hitters in baseball are special. Combined no-hitters are a symptom of the game’s evolution, and a team no-hitter on a day they honor a player who died tragically makes for one of the most remarkable stories in sports. On Friday night, two Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim pitchers combined for a one-walk no-hitter at home on a night the team paid tribute to pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

There are a lot of special significances of Friday night’s feat, starting with that it was a night to honor Skaggs, who died suddenly on July 1. The Angels were on the road at the time, and used Friday’s home game to hold a special ceremony for him, bringing his mother out for a ceremonial first pitch and wearing his No. 45 jersey throughout the night. The Angels then put on a tremendous pitching performance, with Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combining for eight strikeouts and a walk in a 13-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Cole went two innings and Pena cruised through the last seven for the no-hitter, the 11th in Angels history and the first in California since the Orioles did it to the Athletics on July 13, 1991, the day Skaggs was born. The coincidences were just too much for many Angels players.

According to ESPN, Angels manager Brad Ausmus called it “one of the most special moments I’ve been a part of on a major league field in 25 years.”

“You feel like it’s partly Skaggsy’s no-hitter,” he said.

Angles slugger Mike Trout spoke after the game about the emotional moment, which was overwhelming for some players.

After the game, players stayed on the field to celebrate, and then to honor Skaggs once more. Many took off their Skaggs jerseys and put them on the mound, which had his 45 on the back.

It was a night no Angels fan will ever forget, and one that served as a proper tribute to a young player gone far too soon.

×