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Angels’ ugly loss includes an embarrassing moment for Jo Adell

June 3, 2026

Angels starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez throws to the plate during the second inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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ANAHEIM — A couple of months ago Jo Adell enjoyed the best defensive game an outfielder could possibly have, robbing three home runs. Since then, he robbed a fourth.

Now, he’s given one back.

A fly ball hit Adell on the head and bounced over the fence, the most memorable of many ugly moments in the Angels’ 8-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

It came on the final pitch of the night thrown by Grayson Rodriguez, who gave up eight runs in 3⅔ innings in his fourth start. Rodriguez was already having a bad night when Adell suddenly joined him.

Colorado’s T.J. Rumfield hit a ball to the warning track in right center. Adell tracked it down and had his glove up, ready to make the catch on the run. The ball got just past Adell’s glove and hit the top of his head. It then bounced just over the yellow line that marks the top of the fence. The ball bounced back onto the field, so it was initially determined to be in play. Umpires got together and ruled that it was a home run.

“I was toward the line, so I felt like I had a little bit longer way to go than I normally do on a route like that and I just missed it,” Adell said. “It went off my hat, kind of. I don’t know if I overran it. It was kind of the icing on the cake, because I was (expletive) all the way around the whole day today.”

Adell also made a bad throw in the second inning, allowing Troy Johnston to take an extra base. At the plate, he was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Adell’s outfield gaffe brought immediate comparisons to José Canseco, who was playing right field for the Texas Rangers in 1993, when he had a ball hit the top of his head and go over the fence. That moment has lived for decades on sports blooper reels.

Adell had a similar moment in his first weeks in the majors, in 2020. He went back for a ball in Texas. The ball hit his glove and went over the fence. On that play, the official scorer ruled it a rare four-base error.

For years that play defined Adell’s troubles in the outfield. After working hard on his defense, Adell became an above-average right fielder in recent years. He was a finalist for a Gold Glove Award in 2024.

The pinnacle of his ascension as an outfielder came on April 4, when he robbed three homers against the Seattle Mariners in a game the Angels won, 1-0. The glove he used in that game now resides at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

The defensive improvement Adell has made isn’t erased by one gaffe. As recently as Saturday he made a sliding catch to save multiple runs.

At one point shortly after Tuesday’s play, the shirtless horde gathered in the upper deck took a break from chanting “sell the team” to chant Adell’s name.

Adell said he just needs to forget this game.

“That’s what we have to do,” he said. “I mean, there’s really no other, other way around it. Let it fester and tumble over, but these are plays I’ve made hundreds and thousands of times. To lose one, and how weirdly it came out, it’s (crappy), but it is what it is. Keep going.”

Rodriguez, the pitcher who had an extra run added to his line because of the mistake, immediately referenced Adell’s best moment when asked about this one.

“He robbed three homers in 2026,” Rodriguez said. “It’s baseball, and it’s a crazy game. Things happen. Obviously, he didn’t do it on purpose. All you can do is really just move on and look to the next start.”

Rodriguez has his own issues to deal with after the worst outing of the four he’s made since missing nearly two years with injuries. The Angels had high hopes for Rodriguez, who had gotten better in the previous two outings. Last week, he gave up one run in five innings in a victory.

This time, his command was lacking. He left too many balls over the middle of the plate, or else he missed the plate entirely. Rodriguez gave up eight hits, including three homers, and he walked three.

After a 10-pitch first inning, Rodriguez gave up three runs in a 32-pitch second. He worked a scoreless third, and then didn’t get out of the fourth.

“I felt like I made a lot of mistakes tonight,” Rodriguez said. “That’s on me. There’s a lot of balls that are in the middle of the plate. When that happens, they’re going to hit the ball hard. It’s hard for guys in the field to catch it. Next start, just work on obviously making better pitches.”

The only consolation was his velocity, which indicates he’s healthy. He averaged 97 mph and he hit 99 mph with his fastball.

Left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who had just been called up to provide multi-inning bullpen coverage, shut out the Rockies over the final 5⅓ innings.

“Best I’ve seen him look,” Manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He obviously came up a little bit earlier this year, but just the command, I feel like the command was with the fastballs, he was attacking. The changeup played off of that. Cutter. Breaking balls. Everything he threw I thought was competitive, and you saw the results.”

Angels’ ugly loss includes an embarrassing moment for Jo Adell Orange County Register

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Angels’ ugly loss includes an embarrassing moment for Jo Adell

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