Fansided

3 Angels heroes who helped the team win the Game of the Year

By Zachary Rotman |
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers / Tim Heitman/GettyImages
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What a game. The Los Angeles Angels just played the Game of the Year thus far in Arlington, Texas and knocked off the first-place Rangers.

The Angels, a team that's failed to win just about every big game they've played in this season, scratched and clawed their way to a win they stole from one of baseball's best teams.

Timely hitting, clutch pitching, amazing defense, wild ejections, this game had it all. These three Angels players played a key role in helping the Angels go to a season-high six games over .500.

1) LA Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani helped the team win the Game of the Year

Shohei Ohtani continued to swing the bat as well as he has all season as he had a monster game against the Rangers.

Ohtani's day started with a groundout but then the party really got started. His sacrifice fly got the Angels to within three runs in the top of the fifth which helped kickstart their rally. The Halos would score three times that inning to get within one run.

His next time up, in the top of the seventh, Ohtani hit an absolute moonshot to tie the game at five. He inside-outed a fastball and launched it 459 feet away to the second deck in left-center field. Aided by an outstanding bat-flip, Ohtani had tied the game at 5-5. It was his 19th home run of the season to tie Aaron Judge for the AL lead.

The Angels bullpen was able to keep the game tied through 11 innings, and that's when Ohtani said enough was enough. His second home run of the game this time to left field gave the Angels a 7-5 lead which they would not relinquish.

Ohtani had two hits (both home runs) in four at-bats. He drove in four runs, drew a walk, and scored twice. He got the Angels to extras with his home run that tied the game, and he won it with the shot that gave them the lead. Pretty unbelievable night for the best player in baseball.

2) LA Angels pitcher Sam Bachman helped the team win the game of the year

Sam Bachman is still a very inexperienced reliever. Last night was the sixth MLB appearance of his career, and it came in the biggest spot he's ever been in. Tie game, against an elite opponent, at their stadium, with a free runner at second base.

Bachman came into a tied game in the bottom of the tenth inning after the Angels (thanks to the home plate umpire) failed to score. All of the pressure was on his shoulders to try and get this game to the 11th, let alone give them the win.

Bachman got Mitch Garver to fly out for the first out of the inning, but then more controversy. Travis Jankowski clearly did not touch the first base bag, but the first base umpire called him safe on the field, and replay review somehow upheld it. This allowed the Rangers to have runners on the corners with one out. A fly ball wins the game.

Instead of pouting and giving the game to one of the elite teams in the game, Bachman was able to get Leody Taveras to hit a ball on the ground and Luis Rengifo threw a strike to the plate to keep it tied.

Bachman then faced one of the best hitters in the American League in Marcus Semien and got him to ground out (with help from Taylor Ward) to end the inning.)

If you thought that was all, you're very wrong. Bachman was asked to come back out into more pressure for the 11th. The Halos once again failed to score, and Bachman had to keep this game tied.

After intentionally walking Corey Seager, he struck out Nathaniel Lowe, got Adolis Garcia to fly out, and Josh Jung to line out to send it to the 12th. Bachman did not give up a (legitimate) hit in two pressure-packed innings against the best offense in baseball. Beyond impressive.

The Angels then wound up scoring four times in the top of the 12th to give them the lead which they would not relinquish. Bachman got his first Major League win, and earned every bit of it.

The Angels don't stand a chance in this one without their hard-throwing right-hander coming up as clutch as he did. This was a starter in AA coming into this spot for his sixth MLB appearance. Just wow.

3) LA Angels outfielder Taylor Ward helped the team win the game of the year

It's been a pretty disastrous 2023 campaign for Taylor Ward. He broke out in 2022, having a career year and earning a starting job. Ward was pencilled in as the Angels leadoff hitter from the onset, and thanks to his struggles, lost his job completely.

Since Mickey Moniak stole some starts from Ward, the 2022 star has woken back up. He's swung the bat much better of late, and had some big moments in this game.

Ward hit a two-out double which helped the Angels score their first run of the game. Shohei Ohtani walked behind him, and Mike Trout drove him in with a clutch single. Ward was in the middle of another rally two innings later as he singled following Zach Neto's double. Neto scored on a sacrifice fly, and later in the inning, Ward scored on some aggressive base-running following a throwing error from Adolis Garcia.

Ward was the free runner in the 12th who scored on Ohtani's home run which gave the Halos the lead. Overall, he had two hits in five at-bats including a walk. He scored three of the nine runs the Angels scored, and absolutely played a big role offensively.

It's a solid game for sure, but Ward is on here for his defense. No, he did not make another home run robbery. Ward, playing out of position, helped get the Angels to the 11th inning.

Remember the groundout Sam Bachman got to get out of the 10th? Yeah, Taylor Ward deserves a boatload of credit for that. After a Zach Neto bobble, the young shortstop fired a throw to first which Taylor Ward, playing first base, had to scoop out of the dirt to get Marcus Semien and end the inning.

Let's rewind a bit. In the top of the tenth, Brandon Drury was ejected for arguing a brutal strike three call which every Angels fan (correctly) felt robbed them the game. This forced the Angels to use an outfielder in the infield. Phil Nevin put Taylor Ward at first base, which was an interesting decision.

Of the three outfielders, Hunter Renfroe was actually the most experienced at first base. Even with that said, Ward came to play first base and made that great play. This was Ward's third inning ever at first base in the majors with the other two coming in 2020.

An outfielder who hadn't played first base in years had to borrow a glove to pick the hardest throw made by an infielder all season. That alone makes him one of the three stars of the game. The offense was just the cherry on top.

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