DETROIT—Mickey Moniak made up for flailing on a fly ball that would have sealed a victory in the ninth inning with the winning hit for the Los Angeles Angels.
Moniak hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the 10th inning, Shohei Ohtani had two walks and two runs and Los Angeles beat the Detroit Tigers 7–6 on Tuesday night, July 25, after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth.
Detroit’s Riley Green hit an RBI double to put two runners in scoring position to give Spencer Torkelson a chance to at least tie it in the ninth and he did with a deep drive that Moniak tracked down in center only to let drop to the ground as he twisted off-balance.
“That one’s on me,” Moniak said. “Just glad we pulled it out.”
Moniak, who extended his hitting streak to a career-long 15 games, made a pair of challenging catches to end the third and begin the fourth innings on deep drives.
“That’s a tough one when it hangs,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “I didn’t play a whole lot of outfield, but I know that’s a very tough play. It should be made. He’ll tell you that, but he made some great catches before that.”
Ohtani is potentially in his last week with the Angels. The franchise has to decide whether to risk losing the 29-year-old two-way star in free agency or trade him ahead of the trade deadline next Tuesday.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian has said it’s highly unlikely the team will trade Ohtani if it remains in playoff contention. Los Angeles, which has been hovering around .500, has improved its standing in the AL wild-card race by winning six of seven games.
The rebuilding Tigers, meanwhile, will likely trade their starting pitcher from the series opener.
Eduardo Rodriguez gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in what was likely his last appearance with the team.
The 30-year-old lefty can opt out of his contract after this season and that makes him very expendable for a struggling franchise that needs all the assets it can acquire.
“He’s one of the better left-handers in our game,” Nevin said. “He’s been really tough on lefties this season and really, he’s throwing the ball real well against guys on both sides of the plate.”
Angels closer Carlos Estevez (4–1) pitched the ninth in a non-save situation and earned an improbable win after giving up four unearned runs, allowing Detroit to pull into a 6-all tie to extend the game.
Javier Baez led off the ninth inning, reaching on second baseman Luis Rengifo’s throwing error and scored on Jake Rogers’ single.
“The defense just failed us at the end of the night,” Nevin said.
Aaron Loup pitched the 10th inning to earn his first save this season. Alex Lange (5–3) gave up a hit and a walk to take the loss.
Ohtani walked and scored in the fifth inning for the second time and struck out twice, triggering a rare response from him.
He Said It
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch raved about Ohtani, saying he’s a fan of him and his ability to dominate baseball as a hitter and a pitcher.Press Pause
A power outage in the television truck compound prevented managers from using instant replay to challenge calls until the seventh inning.Trainer’s Room
Angels: SS Zach Neto was scratched from the lineup, missing his third straight game with back pain.Tigers: RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck) made a rehab start for Single-A West Michigan on Tuesday night.
