Angels' bullpen flirts with no-no, deploys 7 pitchers before allowing hit

With Jim Johnson making his first career start since his debut season back in 2006, the veteran reliever nearly became a part of history.

That's because, including Johnson, the Los Angeles Angels deployed seven pitchers before the Texas Rangers recorded their first hit in the seventh inning of Tuesday's game.

Prior to Isiah Kiner-Falefa's single with one out in the seventh off of Blake Parker, six pitchers had combined to allow three walks while striking out seven.

If completed, it would have been the first combined no-hitter since the Dodgers pulled off the rare feat back in May, when four pitchers combined to shut down the San Diego Padres in the opener of the Mexico Series. Had the Angels finished it off, they would have been guaranteed to set the record for most pitchers used in a no-hitter, beating the mark of six previously set by the New York Yankees in 2003 and matched by the Seattle Mariners in 2012.

Despite falling short of an impressive achievement, the Angels narrowly notched a victory as Jose Fernandez's second-inning solo home run proved decisive in the 1-0 win.

While Parker ran into trouble during his frame, allowing a pair of hits while retiring two, Ty Buttrey - the Halos' eighth hurler of the tilt - wound up getting out of the jam and collecting the save in the ninth.