Angels lose in the 9th after Jo Adell’s go-ahead homer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An oblique injury in July cost Jo Adell an extended opportunity to show whether he’s finally ready to perform in the majors.

Now, he’s trying to make the most of the season’s final two weeks.

Adell’s sixth-inning two-run homer gave the Angels the lead in a game they lost 5-4 when the Tampa Bay Rays scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth against closer Carlos Estévez on Thursday afternoon.

Rookies José Soriano and Ben Joyce each worked scoreless innings to get the one-run lead to Estévez.

The ninth began with a Harold Ramirez single off the left-field fence and Yandy Diaz’s ground ball just past shortstop Zach Neto. An out later, Isaac Paredes tied the game with a single. Manny Margot dropped a blooper into right with two outs to win it.

Afterward, Manager Phil Nevin looked back at the ground ball that got past Neto, who he suggested was trying to do too much.

“It’s a learning moment for him,” Nevin said. “It’s certainly a ball he can get to. Get the out first rather than trying to make a great double play, but he’s a dynamic defender. He has been all year. It’s a really tough play.”

Neto and Brandon Drury had failed to come through in the top of the ninth when the Angels had runners at second and third and one out, with a chance to add some insurance.

“You’ve got to find ways to get those runs in,” Nevin said. “That’s what good teams do.”

The ninth-inning mistakes aside, Nevin said he was pleased with the way his team played against the playoff-bound Rays in a ballpark where they are now 52-26. The Angels were inches away from taking two of three.

“We thought we had that one in the bag,” Adell said. “It’s a tough one. We learn from it and move forward.”

As the Angels look forward, they’ll be keeping an eye on Adell.

In three games since returning from a 10-week stay on the injured list, Adell is 3 for 12 with a double and a homer. He has also struck out five times. He made some nice catches on tough line drives Wednesday.

“I thought I was a little stiff yesterday, but I kind of found my rhythm back today,” Adell said. “I’ve been seeing the ball well though. That’s the big thing. My at-bats have been at least five, six pitches deep, most of them. Today definitely connected more and had better results.”

His homer on Thursday was against Shawn Armstrong, who hadn’t allowed a run since Aug. 6. Adell also singled and drew a walk.

“It’s not an all or nothing swing anymore,” Nevin said. “I think there’s there’s a thought process to his approach. There’s a plan to it. You can see that. He missed a lot of time and really only played a couple games (in Triple-A).  He saw some live pitching before (coming back), but especially for a young player, it’s tough to come back from that. I think he’s just finding his ground and his timing. But one off one of the best relievers in the game. Put a good swing on one in a big spot.”

Adell was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, but the 24-year-old has not lived up to his potential in the majors.

His 23 homers in the first half at Triple-A provided some hope that he was turning the corner in his career. When Mike Trout got hurt July 3, Adell was summoned with an opportunity to play. Adell played just four big-league games between Trout’s injury and his own.

“I think that was the thing that was most disappointing when I got hurt, just knowing you know the roster shrinkage and the players that were already down,” Adell said earlier this week. “It felt like a chance for me to come and really help, with the roster kind of diminishing a little bit.”

Adell said he might have first tweaked his oblique when he was leaping to rob a homer July 7 at Dodger Stadium. The next day, he “had a little bit of overwork” before the game, and he strained his oblique on a swing in his first at-bat.

Adell said when he hurt his oblique late in 2021 he rushed back, so this time he and the Angels were extra cautious. He also said he has “a better routine now,” which he thinks can prevent a recurrence.

“I’m not really worried about it,” he said. “It’s a thing of the past.”

Adell spent the rest of July and all of August rehabbing in Arizona. He reported to Triple-A Salt Lake earlier this month for some workouts, and he played in two games last weekend and hit his 25th homer.

“These last couple weeks of rehab, I was getting really antsy,” he said. “I trusted our process of getting back and doing the things we need to do.”

On Thursday, Adell’s homer was just in time for Griffin Canning to have a chance at a victory after he had allowed two runs in five innings.

The right-hander allowed the first three hitters of the game to reach base, knocking in one run, but he escaped without further damage with a popup, strikeout and groundout.

Canning began the fifth with 82 pitches and then issued a walk to Diaz, with the middle of the Rays order due. He then struck out Brandon Lowe, Paredes and Randy Arozarena.

“He held a pretty good lineup down,” Nevin said. “He got some big strikeouts when he needed it and some soft contact. And we played some good defense behind him too. I love the way Griffin’s throwing the ball.”