'Moment to remember': Marsh leads rally
Outfielder triples twice as Halos match largest comeback in club history
DETROIT -- Rookie center fielder Brandon Marsh moved up among MLB Pipeline's prospect rankings on Wednesday, then he also had himself quite the day at the plate Thursday afternoon in an epic comeback for the Angels, becoming the first Halos player with two triples in a game since Erick Aybar in 2011.
Marsh, who is now ranked as the No. 43 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored to help the Angels erase an eight-run deficit in the sixth en route to a 13-10 win over the Tigers in the series finale at Comerica Park.
Max Stassi provided the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth, as the Halos matched their largest comeback in club history, which was previously set against the Tigers on Aug. 29, 1986. It’s also tied for the biggest comeback in the Majors this year, as the Padres rallied from an eight-run deficit against the Nationals on July 8. MLB clubs were 240-1 this season when holding an eight-run lead at any point in a game.
"It was awesome,” Marsh said. “I don't think I've ever played in any game of baseball and come back from eight runs, especially at a level like this. So it was very special. A moment to remember forever."
Marsh got off to a slow start offensively in his big league career, but he has been turning it around at the plate over the last week. He’s batted .419 (13-for-31) with two doubles, two triples and four RBIs over his last eight games.
"He's getting better," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "He's starting to square up the pitches that he likes for the most part. I think he's getting better at not chasing."
Marsh helped spark a two-run second inning with his first career triple on a ball that hit off the top of the wall in right-center field. He scored Jo Adell, who reached on a 10-pitch walk, and Marsh used his speed to score on a grounder from Stassi despite the infield being in. Maddon indicated Marsh’s deep drive was likely a homer, but he didn’t want to risk challenging it and have it overturned to a double. And Marsh was fine settling with the triple over his first Major League home run.
"Whatever it was, whether it was a homer or a triple, I just have to give credit to all the guys who helped me get here,” Marsh said. “It just means I'm in a good place right now."
But lefty José Quintana and reliever Aaron Slegers combined to allow 10 runs and the Angels appeared out of the game, trailing 10-2 in the sixth. The Halos, though, rallied for six runs in the sixth, with Marsh again playing a major role. The Angels loaded the bases and scored three runs, keyed by an infield single from Phil Gosselin and back-to-back walks from Jared Walsh and Justin Upton. Adell then hit into a potential double play, but he showed off his speed to beat it out to keep the inning alive.
“Adell, beating out that double play, I loved that,” Maddon said. “The whole group. Everybody up and down the lineup did good things today.”
Marsh followed with his second triple of the game to make it a two-run game. He became the first Angels player with two triples in a game since Aybar on Sept. 2, 2011, against Minnesota.
"When he runs during a triple, it's fun,” Maddon said. “Just watching his hair flying, how fast he's running and how his body moves, it's like watching Fabio hit a triple."
Walsh made it a one-run game with an RBI double in the seventh and Marsh helped spark another rally in the eighth by drawing a one-out walk on 10 pitches. Stassi followed with the go-ahead two-run homer.
"To be honest, it was my favorite at-bat of mine of the day,” Marsh said of his walk. “And I can't take anything away from Stassi. I told him, 'Big-time players make big-time plays.'"
The Angels added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani, who also reached base safely four times after throwing a career-high eight innings and hitting his 40th homer on Wednesday night. Gosselin also homered in the ninth to give the Halos their 11th unanswered run.
"That whole entire game when we got down, we still fully felt like we could do it,” Maddon said. “They all did. Everybody in that dugout never let up. They never let down. We just had relentless at-bats."