Athletics at Los Angeles Angels: Final Score & Recap

The Los Angeles Angels walked off the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on May 18, 2026, at Angel Stadium in a game that was entirely scoreless through eight innings before exploding in the ninth. The DiamondIQ model opened with a 40 percent pre-game home win probability for the Angels, but that number had not yet moved in either direction until Lawrence Butler's single off Ryan Zeferjahn in the top of the ninth shifted Oakland's chances upward by 34.2 percentage points, giving the Athletics a brief foothold. Nick Kurtz then grounded into a double play off Chase Silseth, costing Oakland 9.7 percentage points of win probability and stranding the threat. The Athletics ultimately pushed one run across, but the frame set the stage for what followed in the bottom half.

Zach Neto ended it immediately. With the Angels trailing by one and facing J.T. Ginn, Neto connected on a walk-off home run that swung win probability by 67.7 percentage points in a single swing, vaulting the DiamondIQ model's estimate from a precarious position all the way to 100 percent. Adam Frazier had set the table moments earlier with a single off Ginn that added 12.3 percentage points before Neto delivered the decisive blow. On the pitching side, Walbert Ureña contributed the most among Angels arms with a WPA of plus-34.2, while Sam Bachman added plus-18.9 and Silseth contributed plus-9.7, the latter's double-play induction proving critical in preserving the Angels' ability to walk off. The final line told a stark story: Los Angeles managed only two hits against Oakland's seven, but Neto's single swing in the ninth rendered all of that irrelevant.