The Los Angeles Angels made some history Thursday. The team trailed 10-2 in the top of the sixth in the final game of a road series against the Detroit Tigers, but then they went on a run, scoring six runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth for an eventual 13-10 win. That gave them a series sweep and improved their overall record to 62-61, but it also marked their largest comeback since 1986, which also came against the Tigers:
With today's win, the team matches the franchise record by overcoming an 8-run deficit.
The last time this happened was Aug. 29, 1986 vs. Detroit (trailed 11-3 in the 7th inning; won 13-12). pic.twitter.com/5wPp2VSc2m
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 19, 2021
Funnily enough, the famous viral @matttomic tweet about the Angels’ individual highlights amidst losses also cited the Tigers:
every time I see an Angels highlight it's like "Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn't been done since 'Tungsten Arm' O'Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3"
— ℳatt (@matttomic) May 18, 2021
This time around, at least, things worked out better for the Angels as a team. But not for most of the game, as the win probability graph shows:
A SERIES SWEEP!!!#LTBU pic.twitter.com/WAgd5xsc4i
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 19, 2021
That sixth-inning rally was a key part of this, and it started with Angels’ catcher Max Stassi (shown above celebrating with reliever Austin Warren after the game) singling to left. Jose Iglesias then lined out, but Shohei Ohtani and David Fletcher both singled to load the bases. Joe Jimenez then came in for Tigers’ starter Derek Holland, but Phil Gosselin singled off him to score Stassi, and Jimenez then walked Jared Walsh and Justin Upton, scoring Ohtani and Fletcher. Jimenez then was pulled, but got ejected along the way, and Kyle Funkhouser came in. Gosselin then scored on a fielder’s choice groundout from Jo Adell, and Brandon Marsh then tripled to score two more runs before Funkhouser struck out Stassi to end the inning. Here’s that triple:
Brandon Marsh leads the league in almost home runs pic.twitter.com/7fvtJCDLez
— Max (@Maxairjordan1) August 19, 2021
The Angels then took the lead for good in the eighth off a two-run homer by Stassi, a double by Iglesias, and a sacrifice fly by Ohtani. Here’s that homer:
SANTA MARIA WE'VE TAKEN THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/iTinCZ6zmx
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 19, 2021
This was quite the win for the Angels. And, despite the blown 10-2 lead, this wasn’t even the worst performance by someone affiliated with the Tigers during this series.
[MLB.com; photo from Raj Mehta/USA Today Sports]
