Noda breaks up Astros’ no-hit bid but Oakland still loses 100th game

HOUSTON — The A’s suffered their second consecutive 100-loss seasons since the 1960s on Wednesday. They nearly suffered another ignominious statistic – Oakland was no-hit for 9 2/3 innings by the Houston Astros.

Hunter Brown and some Houston relievers held Oakland hitless unless Ryan Noda’s one-out single in the ninth inning of a 6-2 victory.

Brown pitched six innings, Rafael Montero, Héctor Neris and Bryan Abreu followed with perfect innings each as AL West-leading Houston retired 11 straight batters.

Ryan Pressly retired Tony Kemp on a grounder leading off the ninth, then walked Zach Gelof. Nola grounded a changeup past Pressly and into center field for a single.

Seth Brown’s single and Shea Langeliers’ sacrifice fly drove in runs before Pressly finished the two-hitter by throwing a called third strike past Brent Rooker.

“We talk a lot about the grit, and they showed that in the ninth by taking some good at-bats and breaking through,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “Up to that point, it was a tough night. They pitched really well tonight. … To get to Pressly and get a couple runs, that shows that this group didn’t give up and shut it down and continued to fight.”

Still, Oakland was held to two hits or fewer for the eighth time.

Abreu, Montero and Pressly were part of Houston’s last combined no-hitter, which Cristian Javier started in Game 4 of the World Series last season. Pressly and Neris finished another combined no-hitter by Javier against the Yankees on June 25, 2022.

Manager Dusty Baker said they didn’t talk about the no-hitter in the dugout Wednesday night, but that everyone was certainly thinking about it.

“I’m sure all the relievers were aware of it, conscious of it because they had been part of two other combined no-hitters,” he said. “So they knew, and Pressly was upset because he wanted to be part of it again. But it was spoiled.”

Jordan Alvarez hit a three-run homer and Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker had solo shots for the Astros, who maintained a one-game lead over second place Texas, with Seattle is another half-game back. Tucker’s home run was the 100th of his big league career.

Brown (11-11) struck out seven in five innings, walked two and hit a batter, throwing 78 pitches. He had allowed 11 runs over his last two starts spanning 8 1/3 innings.

The A’s had not lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons since 1964-65 in Kansas City. The A’s joined their Kansas City replacement, the Royals, as 100-game losers this season.

Noda said it was a relief when he broke up the no-hitter. He said they can take a lot of positives from this series despite the tough way it ended.

“It says we are progressing,” he said. “It says we keep battling for each other. We keep coming every day wanting to win and expecting to win. I think that’s something that we keep talking about more as we keep going on, and as we keep talking about it, things like this series are going to happen.”