Angels Lose to Brewers in Most Heartbreaking Way Possible

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jun 19, 2024

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward thought he had hit a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sal Frelick made sure he did not.

FINAL: Holy crap. Taylor Ward had a game-tying three-run homer with two outs in the ninth.

Sal Frelick made an absurd home-run robbery to end it.

6-3, Brewers. pic.twitter.com/01HOzzVZej

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) June 19, 2024

“I think it’s just baseball," Ward said after the game. "I wasn’t entirely sure if I got it or not, but it was a hell of a play on his part.”

The Angels entered the ninth inning down 6-0 and were in the middle of a rally after scoring three runs before putting two men on first and second base with two outs. That's when Frelick, the Milwaukee center fielder, timed his jump at the wall perfectly. When he came back down to Earth, the Brewers began celebrating a 6-3 win.

"Sal’s play goes down in the record books in Brewers history as one of the dramatic finishes to a game," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said.

Murphy thought it was a tie game off the bat. So did Angels manager Ron Washington.

“I thought it was a tie ballgame,” Washington said. “He (Frelick) went up there and got it off the wall. I wanted to see if he caught it off the screen, but it was legit.”

The game might not have gone the Halos' way, but Washington wasn't disappointed in how they lost. He was impressed with his team's fight.

“We didn’t quit,” Washington said. “We just couldn’t do anything with the start of the game. We put ourselves in position to pick and peck and maybe get a run here and a run there, but we just couldn’t get to (Brewers starter Tobias Myers). Then we took care of the bullpen when they came in, but it wasn’t enough.”