The Rocket City Trash Pandas achieved a baseball rarity on Saturday evening — they pitched a no-hitter and lost.

But that description doesn’t do justice to the Trash Pandas’ 7-5 loss to the Chattanooga Lookouts in the first game of a doubleheader at Toyota Field in Madison. Rocket City led 3-0 heading into the top of the seventh and final inning after Coleman Crow no-hit the Lookouts through six.

Reliever Ben Joyce took the mound for Rocket City (the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels) and endured a nightmarish inning along with his teammates. He walked three of the first four hitters, then struck out James Free for the second out.

One out away from a combined no-hitter and a shutout, things unraveled quickly for the Trash Pandas. Joyce walked Jacob Hurtubise on four pitches to force home a run and make it 3-1.

Jose Torres then lifted a fly ball to center for what appeared to be the final out, but Rocket City center fielder Jeremiah Jackson dropped the ball. The error allowed three runs to score and put Chattanooga (a Cincinnati Reds affiliate) up 4-3.

With Torres on second, the Trash Pandas’ no-hitter was still improbably intact. Eric Torres relieved Joyce, but hit three straight batters to force home another run and put Chattanooga on top 5-3.

Torres walked Allen Cerda with the bases loaded to make it 6-3, then a wild pitch scored the Lookouts’ seventh run. After another hit-by-pitch, Torres struck out Ilvin Fernandez and the inning, mercifully, was over.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the inning:

Rocket City got two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull back within 7-5, but Chattanooga’s Pedro Garcia struck out the final two batters to end the game. The no-hitter was the first in Minor League Baseball in 2023, and possibly the first ever at the professional level in which the team that pitched the no-no gave up as many as seven runs.

Interestingly enough, Rocket City (1-2) pitched a one-hitter in the second game of the night and won 3-0. Sam Bachman pitched the first five innings, striking out nine and allowing just a Rece Hinds double leading off the second for Chattanooga (2-1).

Brett Kerry pitched the final two innings, striking out four and walking two without allowing a hit, for the save. Orlando Martinez hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Myles Emmerson added an RBI single in the fifth for Rocket City’s runs in Game 2.

Saturday’s games were played as a doubleheader after Friday night’s contest was rained out. Under minor-league rules, doubleheaders consist of two seven-inning games.