Athletics' Mike Fiers Throws 1st No-Hitter of 2019 Season vs. Reds

Tuesday's game between the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds was delayed because of a lighting malfunction at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

It was worth the wait.

Oakland's Mike Fiers threw the first no-hitter of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, propelling his team to a 2-0 victory in the interleague showdown. He wasn't exactly a leading candidate to throw a no-no this year considering he entered the game with a 6.81 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in his first eight starts, but he had no trouble with the Cincinnati lineup.

The Reds even did what they could on social media, but it was to no avail:

Fiers had just six strikeouts, but he saved his most memorable one for last and retired Eugenio Suarez swinging to end the game.

The right-hander was running on fumes at that point and finished with 131 pitches, but he is familiar with the perseverance it takes to finish the job. Tuesday's performance was the second no-hitter of his career, as he pitched one during the 2015 campaign as a member of the Houston Astros.

His no-hitter came against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and repeating the feat put him in elite company:

Seemingly every no-hitter has a moment of defensive brilliance that preserves the accomplishment, and Tuesday's came in the sixth inning when Joey Votto drilled what appeared to be a game-tying solo home run.

However, Oakland center fielder Ramon Laureano had different ideas and robbed him of the long ball in dramatic fashion:

Laureano provided the defense, and Jurickson Profar, who also made a diving catch in the sixth, provided the offense. The second baseman drove in both of Oakland's runs with a solo homer in the seventh and an RBI double in the second.

The night belonged to Fiers, though, and he gave the last-place Athletics a memorable moment.