OF collision results in this unusual Angels HR

August 16th, 2022

ANAHEIM -- Luis Rengifo has been the Angels' hottest hitter for more than a month, but he needed some help from Mariners outfielders Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Haniger on a solo homer in the first inning on Monday night at Angel Stadium.

Rengifo connected on a first-pitch sinker from Luis Castillo and drove it to deep right-center field. Rodríguez and Haniger both attempted to make a jumping catch at the wall at the same time, and it appeared Rodríguez had secured the ball in his glove. But after the two collided, the ball popped out of Rodríguez’s glove and went off the digital scoreboard, above the yellow line at the top of the wall.

The umpires, however, didn’t notice that the ball had technically gone over the fence, and Rengifo reached third for a triple. But after a replay review, the call was overturned and Rengifo was awarded his eighth homer of the season. It tied the game at 1, as Jesse Winker hit a solo homer off Shohei Ohtani in the top of the first.