ARLINGTON, Texas – Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell went back on a deep fly ball in the fifth inning Sunday.
Looked like a fairly routine play — until it turned into anything but that.
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Adell was charged with a rare four-base error when the ball popped out of the rookie’s glove and flew the few remaining feet over the fence in the Texas Rangers’ 7-3 victory.
Nick Solak hoped the original ruling of a home run would stand, but knew right away it hadn't when he saw a Texas hit replaced by a Los Angeles error on the scoreboard two innings later.
The official scorer changed what would have been Solak's first homer of the season to an error after consulting with the Elias Sports Bureau. Elias said it wasn’t aware of any precedent for a four-base error on a ball that went over the wall.
It's not the first time the Rangers have been caught up in a strange home run play — or non-homer, in this case. A little more than 27 years ago, Jose Canseco was playing right for Texas when a deep fly bounced off his head and over the fence.
“I think I deserve a home run for sure,” said Solak, who still had two hits and scored two other runs. "You know, you think like the Canseco play, I don’t even know how that was scored, hopefully a home run.
“But as a hitter I’m always kind of, if I was a scorer, I’d always err on the side of giving guys more hits. But that’s me personally, so I don’t know.”
The Canseco ball was a homer for Carlos Martinez in Cleveland in 1993, but the big slugger was running toward the wall when the ball eluded his glove and bonked off his head.
Adell was drifting toward the warning track when he said he lost the ball as he turned his shoulder. By the time he found it again, the ball was right on top of him. He reached out quickly with his gloved left hand, and the ball popped out before clearing the fence.
Once he realized what happened, Adell put his hands over his head and stared toward the retractable roof in the Rangers' new $1.2 billion stadium. Later came a conversation with star center fielder Mike Trout.
“He just told me that it ain’t going to be the last time things like that happen,” said Adell, who struck out all four times up in his fourth big league game. “It’s one of those things where it sucks, but it’s not the first time that that’s happened in baseball. It’s difficult.”
Texas manager Chris Woodward said he intended to “fight” to get the ruling turned back into a homer. Rangers catcher Jeff Mathis said he didn't even know until reporters told him after the game that Solak's long ball was scored an error, not a homer.
“It’s an embarrassing play for a fielder and it’s tough,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “I went over and talked to him briefly and I thought he dealt with it well.”
LYNN'S MILESTONE
Lance Lynn earned his 100th career win, losing a shutout on Tommy La Stella's two-run homer in the fifth. The right-hander's ERA ended up at 1.16 after he came in with a major league-leading 0.49 mark.
After La Stella's first homer of the season, Lynn (2-0) got Trout to pop out to end a five-inning outing on his 109th pitch. It was Lynn's third attempt at 100 victories after he won on opening day.
Texas reliever Jimmy Herget struck out Luis Rengifo with the bases loaded to end the eighth, preserving a three-run lead.
OTHER RANGERS RUNS
Shin-Soo Choo capped a four-run fourth with a two-run single that chased Angels starter Andrew Heaney (1-1). Rougned Odor ended an 0-for-18 skid with an RBI single for the first run in the fourth.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa put the Rangers in front in the third with a two-out double that scored Rob Refsnyder from first. Elvis Andrus stopped an 0-for-12 slide with an RBI single in the fourth.
WARMING AND STILL COLD
Shohei Ohtani had two hits and a walk and scored a run for the Angels. Anthony Rendon was 0 for 3, extending his slump to 0 for 21.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Nick Goody is dealing with a back issue, but Woodward said the club was another day from deciding whether Goody would need to go on the injured list. He last pitched Aug. 6. ... Woodward said the Rangers want to wait until they're comfortable with Danny Santana (right forearm strain) playing first base before activating him.
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Julio Teheran (0-1, 6.75 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the opener of a three-game series at home against Oakland. He is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts against the A's, both during his nine seasons with Atlanta.
Rangers: RHP Kyle Gibson (0-1, 2.45 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game home series against Seattle. He was 4-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 10 starts against the Mariners with Minnesota.
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