Colby Lewis had everything working Thursday afternoon in Oakland. The 36-year-old Rangers right-hander took a perfect game into the eighth inning and a no-hitter into the ninth against the Athletics.
Lewis lost the perfecto when he walked Yonder Alonso with two outs in the eighth, then lost the no-no when Max Muncy hit a leadoff double in the ninth. Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara reached the ball and the wall at the same time and was unable to make the catch.
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Two hitters later, Coco Crisp got the A's on the board with a blooper to left field that popped out of the glove of a diving Ryan Rua.
Lewis had to setle for a complete-game, 5-1 victory at the Oakland Coliseum. He threw 109 pitches (75 strikes).
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"It sucks," Lewis told Fox Sports Southwest following the game. "It's just one of those things. You never know when that stuff's going to come up, but it was a lot of fun."
Lewis, who spent the 2007 season with the A's, has yet to lose this season in 14 starts. He only struck out four batters Thursday, but pitching to contact been effective for him as he improved to 6-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.81.
The A's have not been no-hit since July 13, 1991, the longest such streak in the majors. Four Orioles pitchers (Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson) combined on the feat. The last complete-game no-hitter against Oakland was thrown by the Rangers' Nolan Ryan on June 11, 1990.
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Lewis is coming off a season in which he set a career high with 17 wins. He flirted with a perfect game on Sept. 11, also against the A's, In that game, Danny Valencia led off the eighth inning with a double. That was also the last time Lewis pitched a complete game.
The Rangers provided more than enough offense for Lewis. Ian Desmond homered and Adrian Beltre hit a two-run double in the eighth to help the Rangers to their third straight win.
Before Lewis, the last Rangers pitcher to take a no-hitter into the ninth inning was Yu Darvish in 2013. The Rangers haven't had a no-hitter since Kenny Rogers tossed a perfect game against the Angels on July 28, 1994.