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The Los Angeles Angels are looking to maintain their lead in the AL West Saturday evening. The second game of their matchup against the Houston Astros has a little more heat added to it following a situation with Angels star outfielder Mike Trout. As Trout went up to catch a ball, an Astros fan ripped the ball out of his glove. Then, umpires ruled it a foul ball, a call that was derided by many fans on X, formerly Twitter. Talkin' Baseball posted a video of the encounter.
Mike Trout is heated after an Astros fan took the ball out of his glove. Umpires ruled it a foul ball pic.twitter.com/2uBjTQTOOW
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 12, 2025
“Mike Trout is heated after an Astros fan took the ball out of his glove,” posted the baseball-focused account on their page. “Umpires ruled it a foul ball.”
Despite the umpires' ruling, it was clear that Trout was unhappy with the encounter. The incident is just the latest in a long line of fan interference instances in the professional game. The Steve Bartman incident from the 2003 NLCS between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins is the most notable. Although this event wasn't nearly as important, it still goes to show that fans can take it too far. Will this incident help the Angels continue their hot start in Saturday's matchup? They currently lead 4-0 in the fifth inning and are looking to maintain their early season lead at the top of the AL West.
Can the Angels continue their early season strong start?
Following a series of low-key veteran acquisitions, such as trading for designated hitter Jorge Soler, many weren't expecting Los Angeles to be a factor in AL West. Well, so far, so good for Trout and the Angels. A win on Saturday would improve them to 9-6 on the season, with a lot of games left to be played. The fire displayed by Trout for what was ultimately deemed a foul ball should help ignite his teammates. The star right fielder has spent his entire career in Anaheim without anything to really show for it. The time is now to start showing something for it.
So far, Trout has had another positive impact for the Angels in Houston Saturday night. His single in the first inning drove in teammates Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo to open the scoring. He has adapted to right field quite nicely; a move meant to try and keep him healthier. If these changes continue to lead to an improved and more focused Trout, then perhaps Los Angeles will make their long-awaited return to October.
