'That was huge': Adell plays the hero to cap first half

ANAHEIM -- With the game on the line in the ninth inning against the Rangers on Tuesday, Angels manager Ron Washington stuck with Jo Adell in a key spot with two outs because he wanted him to get to know what it felt like to go through big moments.

Adell struck out to end that game but learned from it, as he came through in a critical spot on Sunday, launching a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Angels to a 3-2 win over the Mariners at Angel Stadium. It gave the Angels the series victory in their four-game set against the first-place Mariners, giving them some momentum heading into the All-Star break.

“That was huge for Adell,” Washington said. “He’s been in many of those situations but now he’s come through. And now he’s realized he is capable of coming through and whatever his thought process was at that time, that's what it takes. He’s learning, he’s growing and he got a chance to be in a big situation and come through.”

Prior to the eighth, the Angels couldn’t get anything going offensively against right-hander Logan Gilbert, who limited them to just two hits. But he was taken out after having thrown 87 pitches, and the Angels capitalized on the curious decision by the Mariners.

Reliever Ryne Stanek came in but exited with an injury after issuing a leadoff four-pitch walk. Right-hander Austin Voth was forced to come in on short notice and the Angels made him pay. Zach Neto reached on a five-pitch walk to set the stage for Adell’s heroics.

Adell worked the count full before connecting on a hanging sweeper for a three-run homer -- his 15th home run of the year -- to give the Angels the lead.

“The other night, it didn't go my way in a big moment, but today it did and I’m excited about that,” Adell said. “I’m looking forward to moving forward with that and building on it. I was pretty pumped up. It was a big moment. I know this series has been a grind. To compete against a team ahead of us in the division was a cool moment.”

Adell has shown plenty of pop this year, but is hitting .190 in 87 games. But he showed what his game-changing power can do for the Angels, who have been playing better baseball headed into the break.

The Angels have gone 20-17, dating back to June 3 -- and that’s despite some scuffles early this month, as they’re just 5-8 in July. But Washington has been proud of the way his club has dealt with adversity this year, as he believes they’re continuing to grow.

Veteran third baseman Anthony Rendon also returned to action on Monday after being out since late April with a significant hamstring strain, while superstar Mike Trout is eying a return in late July after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee in early May.

Washington liked the way his young players such as Logan O’Hoppe, Neto and Nolan Schanuel have responded since the club lost key veterans to injury. Adell has had his moments, including on Sunday, and has developed into a strong defender in right, while Mickey Moniak has provided solid defense in center field and has been heating up at the plate recently. Right-hander José Soriano has also exceeded expectations after being converted into a starting pitcher role, while hard-throwing rookie reliever Ben Joyce looks like a future closer.

“It’s just fun watching these guys grow, it really is,” Washington said. “When we lost Trout and those guys early in the year, the spotlight was on all those young kids. In my heart, those young kids stepped up and grew faster than we expected them to. I’m proud of the way they handled it. And now we’re starting to get those guys back and the dynamic is changing.”

Washington said the next step is to build on the first half and become more consistent. He acknowledged it could be difficult if the Angels trade away veterans at the July 30 Trade Deadline but believes his players will be able to stay focused despite the outside noise.

“The only thing we’re trying to tackle in the second half is finding sustainability and consistency,” Washington said. “As far as getting to this point from Day 1 to right now, it's been about growth and trying to learn how to grind, trying to learn how to win. Hopefully in the second half a lot of that will come into play.”