Angels Lose to Orioles on ‘Garbage’ Call to End Game

The Los Angeles Angels' game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday featured a shocking finish: a poor call at second base on a rare two-out stolen base attempt was upheld on a replay review for the final out of the ninth inning.

With Luis Rengifo at the plate, Jo Adell attempted to steal second base. He ran to the base, but the Orioles reacted quickly and threw to Gunnar Henderson to tag Adell out.

The call on the field by umpire Nic Lentz was that Adell was out. Replay reviews showed Adell's lead foot reached to the base before Henderson's glove reached his body. The Angels challenged the call.

After a delay, the umpires upheld the call on the field, ending the game 6-5 in favor of the Orioles. The Angels had already driven in a run during the ninth inning, and had the possibility to come back since they were only trailing by one. Instead, Adell was called out and the game ended in disputed fashion.

"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," replay center umpire Carlos Torres said via a pool reporter. "The call STANDS, the runner is out.”

The Angels began their comeback in the third inning trailing 6-0, starting with a classic solo home run from Mike Trout, who became the first major leaguer to have 10 home runs this season. They scored two more runs in the sixth, and one each in the eighth and ninth inning.

Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel walked Adell, putting the potential game-tying run on first base. The call to steal second base was a gutsy one – and a poor decision by Adell and the Angels if it didn't work. Whether it worked or not is still up for debate.

"From our replays we saw, looked like he was safe, but we don't make the call," Angels manager Ron Washington said after the game, via Bally Sports West.

"Very surprised [they didn't change the call]. I was very surprised," Washington said. "But we don’t make that call. All the angles I saw, he was in there. But it came from New York, and they made the call.”

The call was so egregious that even the broadcaster, Waine Randazzo, exclaimed "that's garbage" as the game came to a sudden close.

The apparent mistake in MLB's replay room was costly for the Angels, who now drop to 10-15 after not getting the chance to come back and possibility steal a win. They are just a half game ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the American League West, and have now lost six of their last seven games. They begin a three-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.