By Observer Sports Desk
ANAHEIM — Mike Trout etched his name alongside Angels royalty on Tuesday night, April 21, playing in his 1,366th career game in center field to tie franchise legend Jim Fregosi for the most games at a single position in Los Angeles Angels history.
The milestone came on a difficult evening for Trout’s club. The Toronto Blue Jays rallied for three runs in the eighth inning and held on for a 4-2 victory before 28,641 fans at Angel Stadium. It was the Angels’ fourth consecutive loss and dropped them to 11-14, third in the American League West.
Fregosi, who played for the Angels from 1961 to 1971, logged his 1,366 games at shortstop during a span in which he became the franchise’s first star. A six-time American League All-Star and the 1967 Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Fregosi later returned to manage the club and guided the Angels to their first postseason appearance in 1979, winning the American League West. The team retired his No. 11 in 1998 and inducted him into the Angels Hall of Fame in 1989. Fregosi died in February 2014 at age 71.
Trout, 34, has spent his entire career as a center fielder for the Angels — a rarity in an era of frequent trades and free-agent reshuffling. The three-time American League MVP, who claimed the honor in 2014, 2016 and 2019, is already the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs and in career wins above replacement, among other categories.
Tuesday’s game turned in the eighth inning. With the Blue Jays trailing 1-0, Toronto’s Ernie Clement doubled off Angels reliever Drew Pomeranz (0-2) with one out. After an intentional walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., pinch-hitter Lenyn Sosa drove a double off the right-center-field wall to bring home two runs and give Toronto a 3-1 lead. Eloy Jiménez followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz delivered a sharp outing, allowing one run and five hits across 5 2/3 innings. Blue Jays left-hander Patrick Corbin matched him, yielding one run and two hits in five frames before giving way to his bullpen.
The Angels nearly clawed back in the bottom of the ninth. Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman struck out Zach Neto to open the inning but allowed a single to Trout and then hit Jo Adell and Jorge Soler with pitches to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Yoán Moncada’s RBI single made it 4-2 and brought the tying run to the plate.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider turned to reliever Louis Varland, who needed just one pitch to induce a game-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Nolan Schanuel. The call stood after a lengthy replay review, with shortstop Andrés Giménez’s relay throw beating Schanuel as he slid head-first into first base.
The loss overshadowed what had been, in its quieter moments, a landmark night for the sport’s most recognizable face. Trout’s career has been marked by both excellence and injury — he has played more than 100 games just twice since 2020, a far cry from the eight straight All-Star selections he earned from 2012 through 2019. Yet the games continue to accumulate, one by one, at a position he has made his own for more than a decade.
Trout will have a chance to pass (as of print) Fregosi and take sole possession of the record in Wednesday’s series finale against Toronto. The Angels will send right-hander José Soriano to the mound. The 27-year-old has been one of baseball’s best stories this season, entering the start at 5-0 with a 0.28 ERA and just one earned run allowed across 32 2/3 innings in his first five outings. Toronto will counter with left-hander Eric Lauer (1-3, 7.13). First pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. Eastern.