Angels Break Losing Streak with Fans’ Unique Support

On Monday night, a lively fan tradition may have played a part in the Los Angeles Angels breaking a daunting streak of over 100 games. For the first time in 106 games, the Angels staged a comeback to win in the final inning, clinching a thrilling walk-off victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This enthusiastic rallying, dubbed the “tarp-off” cheering, involves fans removing their shirts and waving them about, particularly in a designated area—specifically, the right field seats at Angel Stadium this time. It seems to have created quite the spectacle, drawing attention and energy from the crowd.

As the Angels trailed 2-1 heading into the eighth inning, hundreds of fans enthusiastically waved their shirts, generating a palpable atmosphere of excitement. Their support continued as the game reached the final moments, just when Joe Adell stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and the score tied.

Maybe the spirited cheers affected the Cardinals’ pitcher, who unfortunately struck out Adell, yet that opened the door for Zach Neto to score the winning hit, bringing relief and joy to the Angels side. It’s also worth noting that this shirt-waving routine has been popular among Cardinals fans this season at Busch Stadium.

However, the Angels’ fans seem to be giving it their own twist. Since May, they’ve taken to using this enthusiastic gesture as a form of protest too, calling out “Sell the team!” during games. The ongoing discontent towards Angels owner Arte Moreno has been evident, particularly since the team hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2014.

Despite the victory on Monday, the Angels find themselves still in last place in the American League West, currently holding a 40-61 record and a sizable 11 games behind first place. It’s an interesting turnaround, but, of course, it’s just one game in a long season.