Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell put up one of the most outrageous defensive performances in baseball history on Saturday night with three robbed home runs in right field.
Adell put up the hard-to-believe statline to preserve a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners for the first win at home of the Angels’ season.
He flashed his jumping ability in the first inning when he robbed Seattle’s star catcher, Cal Raleigh, at the right field wall.
Adell continued his strong defensive showing in the eighth inning when he caught a batted ball from Josh Naylor in nearly the exact same spot.
But the most shocking catch came in the ninth inning. After JP Crawford sent a ball down the right field line, Adell raced over, reached out and managed to snag it while flipping over the wall.
Adell raised his glove in triumph, the Angels fans around him celebrated and all Crawford could do is stand there with his mouth agape in stunned silence.
Angels star Jo Adell robbed a hardly believable three home runs on Saturday night
Adell made a pair of catches at the right field wall to keep Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor honest
But his ninth-inning catch where he flipped over the wall to seal the 1-0 win was truly special
‘That was crazy,’ Adell said after the game (via MLB.com). ‘Just after the first one, we were pretty fired up out there.
‘And then I got the second one, which looked identical to the first one. And I was like, “Wow, like my routes are on point tonight.” The third one was just grit, just top of the ninth, getting it done.’
Former Angels star and nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter called it the ‘greatest defensive performance I’ve ever seen.’
‘I’ve never seen three and I’ve never seen a guy on the third one fall in the stands, catch the ball, keep his feet in like he’s a wide receiver, and come up with the catch,’ Hunter said.
‘I was so excited, jumping up and down. The pressure almost caused me to pass out. I’m 50. I can’t have that kind of pressure. It was amazing, man. It was the greatest defensive game I’ve ever seen.’
‘It was the Jo Show,’ said Adell’s manager, Kurt Suzuki. ‘This guy works as hard as anybody I’ve ever been around. His work ethic, attention to detail, his desire to improve every single day. To see him do that, I don’t believe you’ll see that again. That was impressive.’
