ANAHEIM, Calif; — As Mike Trout is closing in on 400 career home runs, he passed a former iconic Angels outfielder along the way Wednesday night.

Trout, 33, had a two-home run performance in the third and sixth innings to not only tie but put him ahead of Jim Edmonds for the all-time homers list.

“My work’s been good in the cage and I’m feeling good at the plate,” Trout said. “Obviously last night was a little rough but I still felt like I was glossing. I probably got there.”

Edmonds, having a 15-year career split between six years with the Angels (45-47) and nine with the Cardinals, was an all-time feared hitter from his debut in 1993 to his final year in 2008. Having a career batting average of .284, 1199 and 393 home runs, Edmonds was one of the best of his time.

But since Trout made his debut in 2011, he’s been considered as one of the greats and will likely have his name called into baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

“I think when you pass someone like that, it’s pretty special,” Trout said. “You think of the catches he made and what he brought to this organization. It’s pretty special.”

Tonight, Trout had yet another iconic performance.

After an inning sparked by Travis d’Arnaud scoring from third following a lineout by Nolan Schanuel, d’Arnaud opened the inning with a single, then later had to hustle across the baseball diamond to third from a Luis Rengifo double off towards right field.

While d’Arnaud had to hustle across the basepaths to score, Rengifo did not.

Trout came up to the plate and saw only two pitches from Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker. Rocker first threw him a fastball north of the strike zone for a ball. On the second pitch, Rocker threw him a cutter south of the zone. Trout, known as one of the greatest lowball hitters of this generation, made the young pitcher pay by crushing it 426 feet towards center field for a two-run homer to tie the game at 3.

“He can change the game anytime he’s in the box and tonight he was awesome.” Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said.

Despite landing on the injured list due to soreness in his right knee after having surgery on his last season for a torn meniscus, this year has been the healthiest Trout has been in a long time, and he has a chance to play over 100 games for the first time since 2022. This would be the second time he’s played over 100 since 2019.

After the homer by Trout, Rocker looked puzzled on the mound and walked Taylor Ward in the next at-bat. After Ward, he gave up a RBI double to Jo Adell. Ward sprinted across from first to home to get the Angels their first lead of the night.

Jul 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) is congratulated at the dugout by center fielder Jo Adell (7) after a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jul 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) is congratulated at the dugout by center fielder Jo Adell (7) after a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The third inning was a bailout inning by the Angels’ offense for pitcher Kyle Hendricks as he threw 60 pitches between the first three innings.

Most of Hendricks’ (5-6, 4.88 ERA) troubles were in the first and third. In the second, he worked efficiently on the mound, throwing just 11 pitches to get himself back in the game.

Looking for a rebound inning after getting new life by his offense, Hendricks dug himself into a hole in the fourth after allowing Wyatt Langford to steal two bases, then score following an error made by Hendricks by a missed fielder’s choice attempt towards home, resulting in the Rangers (45-48) tying the game at 4 again.

Jul 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) delivers in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jul 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) delivers in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While the run was ruled unearned, Hendricks gave up the lead later in the inning after Jake Burger scored from a Josh Smith RBI double.

“It’s a tough situation there. You don’t envision that happening in the fourth inning with him very often. If ever,” Montgomery said. “… That early in the game and talking to Kyle and what he felt with Smith. He felt like he had a good plan for him. “

His day came to an end after the double, throwing 78 pitches in 3 2/3 innings with 3 strikeouts, 4 earned runs and 1 walk. Brock Burke was the next pitcher on the mound and got Corey Seager to ground out at short, bailing Hendricks out.

The Angels continued to bail him out by tying the game in the bottom half of the inning following a solo homer by d’Arnaud. Then in the fifth, they would take the lead.

With a tied ball game going into the fifth inning, Trout got the Angels the lead.

In a similar at-bat like he saw in the third, Trout saw Rocker throw a ball north of the strike zone, then fired his bat on the second pitch.

Rocker threw a 96 MPH sinker towards the middle part of the zone, and Trout lined the ball off the Angels’ right field wall for his second homer of the night to pass Edmonds.

“We live and die by the home run. And we were able to get a few tonight.” Montgomery said.

The Angels did not hold onto the lead for long after the Rangers tied the game in the sixth, then took the lead in the seventh from a Marcus Semien home run.

But in the bottom half of the inning, they countered back at Texas when Ward hit a blooper to shallow right field, scoring Rengifo and Zach Neto to tie the game at 8. 

In the eighth inning, they took the lead from a two-run homer by Jorge Soler. Then increased it once more from an RBI by Schanuel.

“I felt good,” Soler said. “Being able to help my teammates win that game. So it was a good moment.”

The Angels won the game with a final score of 11-8.

Game Notes

Reid Detmers’ streak of going 22 consecutive outings without giving up a run came to an end tonight after giving up a homer to Semien in the seventh.

Trout said he is expecting to resume work in the outfield following the All-Star break.

Before tonight’s game, Hunter Strickland was transferred to the 60-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Strickland said he expects to return to the bullpen by Sept.