OAKLAND -- After a miserable 1-8 road trip, the A's desperately needed something to get excited about. Tuesday night, Mike Fiers provided the ultimate celebration.
The 33-year-old threw the second no-hitter of his career, and the 300th in Major League Baseball history, as the A's got back in the win column with a 2-0 shutout of the Reds.
"We've been struggling the past week or two," Fiers said after the game. "I told these guys, 'I'm going to go on a run.' I wasn't the pitcher I was before. I told these guys that I was going to start picking them up."
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The veteran right-hander certainly put his money where his mouth was. Fiers recorded six strikeouts and issued just two walks, throwing 131 pitches en route to the no-no.
Even with the win, Oakland sits at 16-21 for the season, dead last in the AL West. But that magical Tuesday night at the Coliseum could give the team the spark it needs to get back on track.
"Just to see Mike go out and throw like that, I think that's something that can really catch steam and get rolling," said A's catcher Josh Phegley.
Outfielder Ramón Laureano agreed: "It gives us momentum and some rhythm to keep moving forward. I'm excited."
Oakland Athletics
The no-hitter could also help Fiers right his own ship this year. Entering Tuesday's game, he had stumbled to a 6.81 ERA in his first eight starts. Fiers had recently gone through a stretch where he allowed six earned runs in three straight outings and seemed completely lost.
"It hurts when you go out there and you know you're not the pitcher you are, and you're out there giving up all these runs and walking guys," Fiers said. "This team is too good to be losing as many games as we have. I just wanted to kind of set an example and pitch by example."
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Fiers credits his teammates for staying level-headed despite the rough start to the season. He still believes the A's are destined for greatness.
"Nobody's changing because we're losing or winning or whatever the case might be," he said. "Everyone is the same and nobody changes, and that's what I love about these guys. They come every night. They come ready to play. This team is going to be tough to beat down the stretch."