Alex Cora on Angels honoring Tyler Skaggs with no-hitter: ‘It was meant to be'

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After the Red Sox beat the Dodgers on Friday night, Alex Cora was one of many to tune in and witness the Angels' amazing tribute to their late teammate, Tyler Skaggs.

L.A. followed up its pregame ceremony honoring Skaggs by tossing a combined no-hitter and defeating the Seattle Mariners by a score of 13-0. Cora, like all of us, was touched by the incredible storybook moment.

"It puts everything in perspective," Cora told reporters before Saturday night's game at Fenway Park. “And they’re doing an outstanding job over there taking care of the guys and giving them all the help they need. And we know it because we’re living it. So it was one of those that 'yeah, this is meant to be. This is going to happen. No doubt about it'.”

In their first game back in Anaheim since Skaggs' death on July 1, the Angels wore Skaggs' name and No. 45 on their backs and watched his mother, Debbie, throw out a perfect ceremonial first pitch right down the middle.

“The first pitch was amazing,” Cora said. “That was the best pitch of the night. And they threw a no-hitter."

Cora's brother-in-law Jesus Feliciano happens to be the Angels' first-base coach, so the tragedy of Skaggs' untimely death has hit close to home.

"It’s been a tough week for the family too,” said Cora.

Losing a teammate and brother won't get any easier for the Angels, but they can hang their hat on the fact they made Skaggs proud with their historic performance. No matter what happens for the rest of the season, nothing will top what the Angels accomplished on Friday night, the night before Skaggs' 28th birthday.

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