Angels outfield Mike Trout put his team on the board with a three-run home run in the third inning Sunday afternoon against the Athletics. He worked the count 3-0 against starter Mike Fiers before drilling an 88 MPH fastball to left field for his first homer of the 2020 season, cutting the Athletics’ lead to 5-3.
The dinger marked the first time in 211 plate appearances that Trout homered on a 3-0 count. Entering Sunday’s action, Trout had drawn 203 walks and just one hit for a battling line of .200/.976/.200, according to Baseball Reference. Needless to say, Trout often takes at least one pitch after getting to 3-0.
Hey, @Cut4. What are we doing for Mike Trout homers this year? pic.twitter.com/CKbtDLZwX0
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 26, 2020
The league average slash line on 3-0 counts last year was .410/.937/.846. 40 home runs were hit in 4,182 plate appearances.
Despite Trout’s homer, the Angels lost Sunday’s contest to the Athletics 6-4. Trout accounted for all four runs, adding a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
Trout, 28, is the reigning AL MVP, having won his third MVP Award in 10 seasons in the big leagues. In 2019, he hit .291/.438/.645 with 45 home runs, 104 RBI, 110 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 600 trips to the plate.
