DENVER – It started innocently enough as the Angels created some fun trivia, becoming the first team in nearly three years to hit back-to-back homers on three pitches.
But it got madder and crazier from there for the Angels, who simply couldn’t stop scoring against the Rockies. The three homers in a row ignited 13 third innings, and Angels added an eight-run fourth in a wild 25-1 win at Coors Field on Saturday that set the club record for runs scored (25) and strikeouts (28). in a game. The margin of victory over 24 innings was the largest in franchise history.
His previous high in home runs was 24 against the Blue Jays in a 24-2 win on August 25, 1979, while his previous high in strikeouts was 26, which they accomplished twice. He also achieved a franchise-record 13 third-place finishers in both 1997 and 1978. They also tied a club record with four batters in the frame.
The Angels scored 23 points over their first four innings, which was the third most in MLB history, behind only the Cubs (25) on August 25, 1922, and the Pirates (24) on June 6, 1894. Two consecutive innings runs are tied for the most in MLB history with Pirates, who accomplished the way back feat in 1894.
Other notable performances included Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfro, who both went 5-for-5. Moniak hit three doubles and a homer to tie the franchise record with four extra base hits in a game. Moniak fell with a triple on the course, literally nearly falling his way to second on a potential triple in the sixth that had his teammates laughing in the dugout.
Star Mike Trout kicked off the epic third period with a solo blast on a 1-0 right-hander fastball from Chase Anderson to open the frame, before Brandon Drury followed up with a shot of his own on a first-rate cutter.
Then Matt Theis jumped all over Dean’s first pitch curve to give the Angels back-to-back home runs for the second time this season.
The last time the Angels hit three consecutive homers against the Royals was on April 23, when Taylor Ward, Trout and Shuhei Ohtani did it. And the last time a team accomplished that feat on just three pitches was the Yankees, who coincidentally hit three straight pitches from Anderson on September 17, 2020.
Trout started with his 17th homer of the year and his second in as many days. Drury called in his 13th blast of the year, while it was Tice’s fourth homer of the season.
All three homers were squashed in the thin Colorado air, Trout left the bat at 110.5 mph and went for Statcast center 451 feet to center field, Drury had a 105 mph out speed and went 437 feet to left center and Thaiss out of the bat at 108.5 mph and traveled 399 feet projected to the right.
It sparked a 13-run home run for the Angels, as Ward and Otani later added RBI singles. Trout emerged again with two outs but walked to set up a leadoff single off Drury, who had three RBIs in the frame. Thaiss also walked two outs to load the bases for Renfroe, who cleared it with a double.
New addition Eduardo Escobar followed with an RBI single before Moniak ripped off a two-run bunt to give the Angels a 15–0 lead.
The four visitors in the inning tied the Angels franchise record, matching a feat also performed on May 28, 2000, in Kansas City.
David Fletcher grounded out the third inning, an inning that also saw the Angels rack up 10 hits and three walks.
The Angels backed it up with eight runs in the fourth before hitting another run in the sixth and one more in the eighth. Lost in the dribble, right-hander Griffin Canning threw six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, and the only run the Angels allowed on the night was a solo homer by Brenton Doyle off left fielder Colton Ingram in the eighth.
