Angels Nearly Blow Game vs. Tigers After Mickey Moniak Badly Misjudges Fly Ball

Center fielder Mickey Moniak redeemed himself after badly misjudging a fly ball that could have ended the game.

At the worst possible time during Tuesday’s game between the Angels and Tigers, Angels center fielder Mickey Moniak committed an unsightly fielding error baseball fans often do not see at the Major League level.

The head-scratching blunder, which nearly cost his team the game, came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with Los Angeles clinging to a 6–4 lead in Detroit.

Facing Angels reliever Carlos Estevez, Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson hit a deep fly ball to the warning track just in front of the 412’ mark. As he went back on the ball, Moniak appeared to have a read on it, and a catch would have ended the game.

Instead, the ball didn’t travel quite as far as Moniak thought it would, and it fell in front of him and bounced over the wall for a game-tying ground-rule double as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. The gaffe allowed both Riley Greene and Jake Rodgers to come around and score, tying the game at 6–6.

So... we're tied! pic.twitter.com/4nWRXNf0B5

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 26, 2023

Moniak, who is enjoying a solid season by batting .333 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs, fortunately redeemed himself in the top of the 10th inning. 

The 25-year-old speedster supplied the game-winning hit when he launched a double off Detroit reliever Alex Lange, driving in Mike Moustakas to regain the Angels a 7–6 lead that would hold through the bottom of the 10th.

Moniak deserved the opportunity to both celebrate and breathe a heavy sigh of relief.