Angels dispute controversial review in loss to O’s
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A sparse afternoon crowd at Angel Stadium gathered enough voices to produce a surprisingly loud “safe” chant as Wednesday’s contest neared its conclusion, hoping to prolong a game that still seemed undecided. The news, relayed from home-plate umpire Hunter Barksdale, disappointed them:
Replay review of an initial out call on Jo Adell‘s attempted steal of second base, which would have put the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, was not overturned. The Los Angeles Angels‘ late comeback hopes had fallen just short. They absorbed a 6-5 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles, their sixth defeat in seven games. And afterward they lamented what could have been.
“I was in there,” Adell said. “That call goes our way, we have [Luis] Rengifo up with a runner on second and we’re ready to tie the game.”
The Angels, seeking their first series win since the start of April, trailed 6-0 midway through the sixth but had cut their deficit to two by the time Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel took the mound for the ninth inning. A two-base error and run-scoring groundout made it a one-run game with two outs, then Adell worked a full-count walk and took off for second on the ensuing pitch from Kimbrel, who is notoriously slow to the plate.
At least one camera angle appeared to show Adell’s right foot touching the edge of second base before Henderson’s glove touched the top of his right leg, but second-base umpire Nic Lentz called him out. The Angels challenged the call, triggering a long delay.
“We’re all looking at the picture, we’re watching the video,” Adell said. “Where my foot hit and where I got tagged were two totally different spots.”
But the umpire reviewing replay at Major League Baseball’s headquarters in Manhattan, New York — in this case Carlos Torres — disagreed. He ruled that the call “stands,” which means there was not enough evidence to overturn it.
“After viewing all relevant angles, the replay official could not definitively determine that the runner touched second base prior to the fielder applying the tag,” read an MLB statement from its replay center.
Angels manager Ron Washington said he was “very surprised” by the call.
Mike Trout, who hit his major league-leading 10th home run while hitting leadoff for the second straight day, echoed those sentiments.
“I thought he was safe,” he said, “but obviously New York didn’t think so.”
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
The Miami Marlins activated catcher Nick Fortes from the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. To make room for him on the active roster, starting second baseman Otto Lopez was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Fortes, the Marlins’ Opening Day catcher, posted six hits in 20 at-bats with two doubles, one triple and one RBI in seven appearances before going on the IL on April 10 with an injured left oblique muscle. The 28-year-old missed 20 games as the Marlins went 7-13 without him. To prepare for Sunday’s return, he rehabbed for two games at Triple-A Jacksonville and went 0-for-6.
Fortes figures to split time with 23-year-old rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez, who has delivered a .256/.293/.615 slash line with three homers and five RBIs in 10 games during his first stint in the bigs.
The 26-year-old Lopez hits the injured list, retroactive to Saturday, with a sprained right ankle. Lopez started the season hot with a .400 average to go with two homers, six RBIs and one stolen base during five games in March. Since then, he has batted .191 (17-for-89) with no homers, five RBIs and two steals.
Rookie Javier Sanoja, 22, has filled Lopez’s spot at second base the last two games and provided two doubles, two runs and one RBI in seven at-bats.
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