Kids line up along the wall hoping to grab a ball prior to the Angels’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at Angel Stadium. It was the first home game with no capacity restrictions since before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020. The Angels played their 2020 season in emoty stadiums and home games this season had been played in front of reduced capacity crowds. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Matt Manning (25) of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Angels in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kean Wong (8) of the Angels reacts after sliding into second base for a double in the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kean Wong (8) of the Angels runs to third base on the way to home plate for the score after Angels’ Luis Rengifo (2) singled to left field in a game against the Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kean Wong (8) of the Angels slides home for the score in the second inning after Luis Rengifo (2) singled to left field in a game against the Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Akil Baddoo (60) of the Detroit Tigers makes a dash to third base in an attempt to stretch a double into a triple but was tagged out at third in a game against the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Akil Baddoo (60) of the Detroit Tigers reacts after being tagged out at third base when attempted to stretch a double into a triple in a game against the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels flips the ball from his glove to his hand after striking out Miguel Cabrera (24) of the Detroit Tigers in the first inning in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels beats Jeimer Candelario (46) of the Detroit Tigers to first base for the out after Candelario grounded to Ohtani in the sixth inning in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Akil Baddoo (60) of the Detroit Tigers hangs on the left field fence unable to catch the grand slam by Taylor Ward (3) of the Angels in the seventh inning in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Taylor Ward (3) of the Angels rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam in seventh inning in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward is greeted by teammate José Iglesias at home plate after Ward hit a grand slam in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Taylor Ward (3) of the Angels is greeted by José Iglesias (4) at home plate after Ward hit a grand slam in the seventh inning in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Taylor Ward (3) of the Angels is embraced in the dugout after he hit a grand slam in the seventh inning in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pitcher Raisel Iglesias (32) of the Angels wipes his brow after getting the Angels out of a tough eighth inning in a game against the Detroit Tigers during a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ANAHEIM — The first unrestricted crowd at Angel Stadium in 627 days had plenty of reasons to scream like they hadn’t screamed since before the world changed.
Shohei Ohtani pitched six strong innings and Taylor Ward sparked a late rally with a grand slam in the Angels’ 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers before an Angel Stadium crowd of 30,709.
The fans even saw Tony Watson – the goat of Wednesday’s loss in Oakland – work out of a jam with a one-run lead in the top of the seventh, just before Ward’s first career grand slam sent the ballpark into a frenzy.
There hadn’t been this many people in the stadium since 2019. In the shortened 2020 season, of course, the Angels played before an empty stadium because of the coronavirus. For the first two and a half months of this season, capacity was restricted to allow for social distancing.
On Thursday, though, the Angels celebrated so-called “Reopening Day” by making every seat available.
“It’s so wonderful to get back to some normalcy,” Manager Joe Maddon said before the game. “Just think about last year at this time what that felt like, and all the restrictions placed on all of us, just as human beings, let alone the baseball.
“We’ve learned what it was like to play baseball minus fans. I didn’t like it at all, not even a little bit.”
Although the crowd was somewhat late arriving and did not come close to filling the listed capacity of 45,050, it was an energetic group that did the wave and shined their cell phone lights to make the stands glimmer like a Christmas tree.
They saw another solid performance from Ohtani, who pitched six innings and allowed just a Jonathan Schoop solo home run in the sixth. Ohtani struck out five, including future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera with his 78th and final pitch of the night.
He got some help from his defense, too. In the second inning, Akil Baddoo hit a ball off the wall in right field, but a pair of strong throws from Ward in right field and second baseman Luis Rengifo nailed him trying to stretch it into a triple.
Rengifo also put the Angels on the board with an RBI single in the second. David Fletcher followed with a single to put the Angels ahead, 2-0.
The lead was just 2-1 when Maddon handed the ball to Watson, who on Wednesday failed to retire any of the six hitters he faced in a loss in Oakland. This time he gave up a leadoff double, but still escaped with the lead intact.The Angels then padded the lead in the bottom of the inning. The Angels had loaded the bases for pinch-hitter José Iglesias, who singled to drive in one run.
Ward, getting a start in the No. 3 hole because of Anthony Rendon’s injury, then blasted a drive over the fence in left-center, expanding the lead to 7-1.
They needed the cushion because Mike Mayers entered in the eighth and didn’t retire any of the four hitters he faced. Closer Raisel Iglesias entered with the bases loaded and a five-run lead and he finished the game.
More to come on this story.