The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, scores on a single by Miguel Andujar as Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud takes a late throw during the fifth inning on Tuesday night at Angel Stadiun. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angels starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angels star Mike Trout, right, scores on a single by Taylor Ward as Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino takes a late throw during the first inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angels star Mike Trout, below, scores on single by Taylor Ward as Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino takes a late throw during the first inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angels star Mike Trout is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on a single by Taylor Ward during the first inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain, right, dives for a ball hit for a single by the Angels’ Jo Adell as shortstop Elly De La Cruz runs by during the first inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angels center fielder Bryce Teodosio watches a ball hit by the Cincinnati Reds’ Noelvi Marte soar over the fence for a solo home run during the second inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Noelvi Marte, center, gestures as he scores after hitting a solo home run as Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud kneels at the plate during the second inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Noelvi Marte has fake bills shot at him in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Matt McLain, right, breaks his bat before being thrown out at first during the fourth inning of a game against the Angels on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, scores on a single by Miguel Andujar as Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud takes a late throw during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, scores on a single by Miguel Andujar as Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud takes a late throw during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz smiles after scoring on a single by Miguel Andujar during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Angels’ Jo Adell, right, is congratulated by third base coach Bo Porter as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Angels’ Jo Adell hits a game-tying solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. Adell homered twice to help the Angels erase a three-run deficit, but they lost, 6-4. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Angels’ Jo Adell celebrates after hitting a game-tying solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Angels’ Jo Adell, center, celebrates after hitting a game-tying solo home run as Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino stands by during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Jose Trevino, second from center, scores on a sacrifice fly by TJ Friedl as Gavin Lux, right, celebrates and Angels relief pitcher Kenley Jansen, left, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud, second from right, stand by during the ninth inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Jose Trevino is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on sacrifice by TJ Friedl during the ninth inning of a game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Gavin Lux hits an RBI double during the ninth inning of a game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Will Benson, right, is tagged out by Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud while trying to score on a double by Gavin Lux during the ninth inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Will Benson, left, is tagged out by Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud while trying to score on a double by Gavin Lux during the ninth inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Will Benson, left, is tagged out by Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud while trying to score on a double by Gavin Lux during the ninth inning on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan throws to the plate during the ninth inning of a game against the Angels, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Santiago Espinal, left, and Elly De La Cruz celebrate after the Reds defeated the Angels, 6-4, in a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, scores on a single by Miguel Andujar as Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud takes a late throw during the fifth inning on Tuesday night at Angel Stadiun. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
ANAHEIM — There’s a reason why the Kenley Jansen who pitched in the ninth inning on Tuesday didn’t look like the guy who’s been nearly flawless for months.
Jansen wouldn’t say exactly what it was though.
After Jansen gave up two runs in the ninth inning of a heart-breaking 6-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, he acknowledged that something was physically wrong with him and it had a “big time” impact on the quality of his pitches. He wouldn’t elaborate, though.
“We all deal with something,” Jansen said. “Just gotta go through it. I’ll be fine.”
Asked if he might miss time with whatever was bothering him, Jansen said: “We just gotta take it day by day. See where we’re at. Then we’ll be out there.”
Angels head trainer Mike Frostad paid a visit to Jansen just after he loaded the bases, and just before he gave up a tie-breaking sacrifice fly. Interim manager Ray Montgomery said they wanted to check on him, but Jansen insisted he didn’t need to come out of the game.
“He said he was OK,” Montgomery said. “Wanted to make sure he was fine. He was obviously competing in the moment. Wanted to get through the inning. It was obviously a tough inning.”
The Angels had just tied the score in the bottom of the eighth on Jo Adell’s second home run in as many innings, completing the comeback from a three-run deficit.
Jansen, who got in and out of a bases-loaded jam in Sunday’s victory over the A’s, struck out the first hitter of the inning, but then he gave up a single, hit a batter and walked a batter, loading the bases. After Frostad’s visit, Jansen gave up a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to score the go-ahead run. He then gave up a double, driving in another run. The Angels got out of the inning when shortstop Zach Neto’s throw home was in time for the third out.
At that point the damage was done. The Angels (60-66) went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, losing for the fourth time in five games since they swept the Dodgers last week.
“It’s very deflating, of course,” Mongtomery said. “Nobody quits, but, obviously we get back in the game. It’s right there. We tied it. And go to the ninth. We give it to our horse. We’re hoping to come back in in the bottom and get the victory, but it didn’t happen.”
Jansen’s rough inning spoiled a night that should have belonged to Adell.
The Angels were down 4-1 in the seventh, and doing nothing against Reds ace Hunter Greene, when Adell loudly got them back in the game.
Adell hit Greene’s first pitch of the seventh inning 452 feet, the longest homer of his major league career. Greene, who to that point that had been dominating with an assortment of 100 mph fastballs and sliders, threw Adell a 99 mph pitch, and it left Adell’s bat at 115 mph.
“It’s pretty cool,” Adell said of the homer against Greene. “Definitely didn’t miss it. Got all of it.”
An out later, Travis d’Arnaud followed with a double, to knock Greene out of the game. Christian Moore and Neto singled against reliever Grant Ashcraft, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
An inning later, Adell tied the score with a two-out homer down the left-field line. This one was just 371 feet. It was the shortest of Adell’s 28 homers this season.
“I got a couple pitches to do damage with, and that’s what I’m looking to do when I get something I can handle,” Adell said. “I tried to fight to get us back in it.”
That homer spared Angels starter Kyle Hendricks from a loss on a night when he gave up four runs in six innings, mostly because of the Reds’ speed.
Hendricks gave up a solo homer to Noelvi Marte in the second inning. That was the only one of the eight hits that he allowed that had an exit velocity of more than 95 mph, which is the standard for a “hard hit.” Four of them were under 75 mph.
The bloopers were just slow enough to give the Reds time to run.
The score was 1-1 in the fourth when Elly De La Cruz fisted a bloop single into left field. Four pitches later, De La Cruz took off for second just as Miguel Andujar dropped a flare inside the left field line. Left fielder Taylor Ward’s throw home wasn’t even close to getting De La Cruz.
Later in the inning, Marte dunked one into right field, driving in another run.
In the fifth, De La Cruz walked. Again, he took off for second as Andujar dropped one into the outfield. This time, center fielder Bryce Teodosio double-clutched after fielding the ball in right-center, and the relay throw home was too late to get De La Cruz.
“I thought Kyle threw the ball really well,” Montgomery said. “He was making pitches when he wanted. Outside of maybe one or two pitches, he induced a lot of soft contact, and then you had the speed on top of it with Elly. And that made a difference.”
Hendricks, who saw plenty of De La Cruz when they were in the National League Central in the previous two years, shrugged and said the only way to contain him is to keep him off base in the first place. He was nonetheless satisfied with the way he kept the Reds’ hitters off balance.
“You got to play the law of averages,” Hendricks said. “Over time, it’s going to end up in my favor. Just one of those days. That’s how baseball goes sometimes. For sure, it’s frustrating, but just got to keep making my pitches. And if I do that, I’ll get the results I want.”
Originally Published: August 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM PDT