Bizarre play helps Rangers finish sweep of Angels

[August 10, 2020]  Nick Solak's first home run of the season was taken away, but it didn't stop the Texas Rangers from completing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 7-3 win Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.

The Rangers had a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning when Solak lifted a fly ball to deep right field off Angels reliever Mike Mayers. Angels rookie right fielder Jo Adell attempted to catch the ball on the warning track, a few feet in front of the wall.

But the ball glanced off the tip of Adell's glove and caromed over the fence. The play initially was ruled a home run but the official scorer later changed it to a four-base error on Adell.

A Ranger was involved in a similar play in 1993 when Texas right fielder Jose Canseco had the ball bounce off his head and go over the fence at Cleveland Stadium, giving the Indians' Carlos Martinez a home run.
 

The Rangers got another strong outing from starter Lance Lynn, who gave up a two-run homer to Tommy LaStella but nothing else in five innings. Lynn (2-0) scattered four hits, walked three and struck out six.

Angels starter Andrew Heaney (1-1) had his worst start of the season, allowing five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Solak and Elvis Andrus each had two hits for Texas while Shohei Ohtani had two hits for Los Angeles.

The Rangers snapped a scoreless tie in the third inning when Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled in a run against Heaney.

Angels right fielder Jo Adell (59) deflects a ball over the wall with his glove giving Texas Rangers center fielder Nick Solak (not pictured) a home run during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Heaney worked his way out of any further damage in the third, but the Rangers got to him for four runs in the fourth, knocking him out of the game. Rougned Odor had an RBI single, Andrus added an RBI single and Shin-Soo Choo sent Heaney to the showers with a two-run single and a 5-0 Texas lead.

Trailing 6-3, the Angels threatened in the seventh inning when they had two on with two out and Mike Trout up representing the tying run against Texas reliever Joely Rodriguez. Trout worked the count full before Rodriguez got Trout to ground out to third.

The Angels, who also left the bases loaded in the eighth, were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

--Field Level Media

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