ANAHEIM — A couple of months ago Jo Adell enjoyed the best defensive game an outfielder could possibly have, robbing three home runs. Since then, he robbed a fourth.
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Now, he’s given one back.
Adell had a fly ball hit him on the head and bounced over the fence, the most memorable of many ugly moments in the Angels’ 8-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
It came on the final pitch of the night thrown by Grayson Rodriguez, who gave up eight runs in 3⅔ innings in his fourth start. Rodriguez was already having a bad night when Adell suddenly joined him.
Colorado’s T.J. Rumfield hit a ball to the warning track in right center. Adell tracked it down and had his glove up, ready to make the catch on the run. The ball got just past Adell’s glove and hit the top of his head. It then bounced just over the yellow line that marks the top of the fence. The ball bounced back onto the field, so it was initially determined to be in play. Umpires got together and ruled that it was a home run.
Just like that, Adell had joined José Canseco.
Canseco was playing right field for the Texas Rangers in 1993, when he had a ball hit the top of his head and go over the fence. That moment has lived for decades on sports blooper reels.
Adell had a similar moment in his first weeks in the majors, in 2020. He went back for a ball in Texas. The ball hit his glove and went over the fence. On that play, the official scorer ruled it a rare four-base error.
For years that play defined Adell’s troubles in the outfield. After working hard on his defense, Adell became an above-average right fielder in recent years. He was a finalist for a Gold Glove Award in 2024.
The pinnacle of his ascension as an outfielder came on April 4, when the robbed three homers against the Seattle Mariners in a game the Angels won, 1-0. The glove he used in that game is now at the Hall of Fame.
The defensive improvement Adell has made isn’t erased by one gaffe. As recently as Saturday he made a sliding catch to save multiple runs.
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At one point shortly after Tuesday’s play, the shirtless horde gathered in the upper deck took a break from chanting “sell the team” to chant Adell’s name.
Up until the moment the ball hit Adell’s head, the story of the night was Rodriguez.
The Angels had high hopes for Rodriguez in his return from nearly two years out with injuries. He had gotten better in each of his last two starts, including a five-inning, one-run victory last week.
This time, his command was lacking. He left too many balls over the middle of the plate, or else he missed the plate entirely. Rodriguez gave up eight hits, including three homers, and he walked three.
After a 10-pitch first inning, Rodriguez gave up three runs in a 32-pitch second. He worked a scoreless third, and then didn’t get out of the fourth.
The only consolation was his velocity, which indicates he’s healthy. He averaged 97 mph and he hit 99 mph with his fastball.
Left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who had just been called up to provide multi-inning bullpen coverage, shut out the Rockies over the final 5⅓ innings.
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More to come on this story.