The Angels just did something historic on Friday night, and it’s definitely not the good kind of history. They tied an MLB record for blown ninth-inning leads after a stunning 5-3 loss to the Phillies. You gotta be kidding me with this one, truly unbelievable. The host Angels were rocking a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth, and after Luis Arraez grounded out to start the frame, their chances of winning shot all the way up to a staggering 96.5%. Then, of course, the wheels fell off.
Meckler’s Magic Couldn’t Save the Halos
Ben Joyce opened the floodgates, plunking Alec Bohm with a 3-1 fastball, putting a runner on. Then Justin Crawford walked, bringing Bryson Stott to the plate. Stott absolutely hammered a full-count fastball from Joyce deep to right, and man, it looked like a go-ahead bomb for the Phils. Statcast even said it would have been a homer in 26 of 30 MLB parks! But Angels right fielder Wade Meckler had other plans, pulling off an incredible highlight reel snare for the second out. Even after that, with the tying run looming, the Angels still had a 92.8% chance to hold on and make starter Reid Detmers’ strong six innings count. But nope. A wild pitch, then a walk to J.T. Realmuto loaded the bases. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki brought in lefty Sammy Peralta to face Brandon Marsh, hoping to neutralize him.
Sosa’s Grand Slam Flips the Script
Phillies skipper Don Mattingly, though, wasn’t having it. He countered with a pinch-hitter, the right-handed utility man Edmundo Sosa. With a 1-1 count, Sosa found a changeup on the bottom of the zone and launched it 404 feet to center field. You could tell immediately, he knew it. That one swing flipped the whole game on its head. When Sosa stepped up, the Angels still had an 85.6% chance of winning. By the time that ball landed? The Phillies had a 91.4% chance to prevail, which they did thanks to a save from Jonathan Bowlan. Sosa’s been clutch before, with that double against the Cardinals, but this grand slam? That’s next-level stuff.
As for the Angels, this blown ninth-inning lead puts them in some seriously unenviable company. According to CBS Sports Research, the 2026 Angels are now tied with the 2012 Brewers and the 1978 Mets for the most losses ever after leading in the ninth inning. That’s 11 of them, the most since at least 1900. While the Angels are out of it, the Phillies are 75-60, sitting in the second wild card spot in the National League, just a game behind the Cubs for the top wild card position. They’re only five games behind the Cubs in the NL East. Every single win matters for a team in that spot, and Friday’s stunner of a comeback just adds another layer to their season. They play Saturday, and after a comeback like that, you know they’ll be buzzing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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