Josh Bell's Bloop Single Short-Circuited The Entire Angels Defense

It was all going just fine for the Angels. They had scored the opening four runs through the first two innings of their game on Tuesday against the Pirates, and, as far as anyone knew, their gloves and arms were all functioning properly, as they should on a professional baseball team. That all changed with a Josh Bell bloop single with one out in the third, which plated two runs from the corners and somehow got Bell all the way to third base because the entirety of the Angels fielders suddenly went on the fritz.

Three different fielders initially converged on Bell’s tricky pop fly, but it was left fielder Justin Upton who came closest and yet failed to ensnare the out with a sliding catch. One run scored easily off the hit, and with third baseman Matt Thaiss stuck in the outfield, another runner advanced easily from first to third. That’s when things went from “mildly unfortunate baseball play” to “it would be a crime if someone didn’t ‘Yakety Sax’ this.”

Pitcher Griffin Canning picked up Upton’s weak throw into the infield and promptly returned it via airmail back to the outfield as Bell tried and succeeded at taking second. That scored another run, and when Kole Calhoun bobbled the ball trying to retrieve it in right, Bell earned himself another 90 feet.

You know how this goes. Bell scored on the very next at-bat, and the Pirates went on to win by three runs. Maybe next time the Angels will learn to be more careful!