Ohtani triple ends Anderson’s no-hit bid in ninth

ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

LOS ANGELES — Tyler Anderson’s impressive — and somewhat improbable — no-hit bid fell two outs short Wednesday night, as Shohei Ohtani broke it up with a line-drive triple in the ninth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ eventual 4-1 win over the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani’s triple came on Anderson’s 123rd pitch of the night, 14 more than his previous career high. The 32-year-old left-hander, relying heavily on an effective changeup, struck out eight batters, issued two walks, hit another and watched two other batters reach base on errors.

The first was Taylor Ward, who led off the game with a harmless fly ball that triggered a collision between Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts in right-center field, prompting the ball to squirt away before Bellinger retired Ward on his way to second base. The second came on a slow roller off the bat of Jared Walsh in the seventh inning, which Anderson fielded up the first-base line before throwing errantly, allowing Walsh to reach second.

Anderson, 32, retired four of the next five batters, ending the eighth inning with a strikeout and walking off to a standing ovation. He began the ninth with 117 pitches — already eight more than his previous career high — then struck Mike Trout out looking on a high cutter. On the next pitch, another cutter slightly lower, Ohtani laced a liner to right field. Betts dove full extension but couldn’t come up with the no-hitter-preserving catch, prompting Anderson to walk off the mound to a standing ovation and watch Craig Kimbrel record the last two outs.

Anderson became the first Dodgers pitcher to lose a no-hitter in the ninth inning or later since Rich Hill, who lost his in the 10th against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 23, 2017. Anderson’s opponent on Wednesday was Reid Detmers, who’s responsible for what is still the only solo no-hitter of the 2022 season. The Angels haven’t been no-hit since Sept. 11, 1999, giving them the second-longest active streak in the majors.

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