Fans in right field at Angel Stadium erupted in the “tarps off cheer” as the Los Angeles Angels completed a dramatic ninth-inning walk-off, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Monday night. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Jo Adell was hit by a pitch and Zach Neto scored the winning run to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Fans in right field perform the tarps off cheer at Angel Stadium.
Tarps off cheer at Angel Stadium
Dozens of supporters in a concentrated right-field section removed shirts and waved them above their heads while chanting as the game reached its decisive moment. The noise level rose into the final at-bat and the shirt-removal gesture and chant have been described in coverage as the “tarps off cheer.”
Fox News described the scene at Angel Stadium and included video and fan accounts of the coordinated shirts-off celebration. Coverage noted that the display was led by a small group in the right-field stands with many other fans joining in behind them.
How the Angels won in the ninth
Trailing 2-1 entering the ninth, the Angels rallied to load the bases for Jo Adell. With the crowd at a fever pitch, Adell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Zach Neto crossed the plate for the winning run, ending the game 3-2.
The play was officially recorded as a hit-by-pitch that produced the walk-off run. ESPN noted the rarity of the event: this was the Angels’ first win when trailing in the ninth inning in 106 games, a stretch highlighted in postgame coverage.
Jo Adell reacts after being hit by a pitch that drove in the winning run.
Where the cheer came from and fan unrest
Coverage cited by Fox News says the tarps-off-style chant was popularized earlier this season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and has since appeared at other ballparks. Reporting has connected the gesture to a broader set of fan expressions that have traveled between stadiums this year.
Fox News also reported that some fans at Angel Stadium have used right-field chants to protest ownership, at times shouting “Sell the team” to express frustration with the franchise’s direction under owner Arte Moreno. Those reports present fan chants as part of ongoing unrest among portions of the fan base, not as an organized team message.
What this means for the Angels now
The win provided an immediate emotional lift but did little to change the season-long standings picture. After Monday’s result the Angels were 40-61 and sat 11 games out of the AL West lead.
Manager Oliver Marmol was asked postgame about the rally and the crowd’s role. Coverage summarized Marmol’s response as acknowledging the energy from fans while reiterating the team’s focus on fundamentals and the long-term work required to improve results. Players described the finish as a morale boost in an otherwise difficult stretch.
Statistically, the victory was notable because ninth-inning comebacks have been scarce for the club this season. The rare walk-off added a positive data point for a team that has struggled to finish tight games.
What comes next
The Angels will try to carry momentum from Monday’s comeback into their next set of games. While one win does not erase a long season of losses, the clubhouse said the late rally offered a short-term lift as the team works through the remaining schedule.
Reporting notes and source attribution
This account is based on original game coverage. Fox News reported on the walk-off and the role fans played in the tarps off chant at Angel Stadium; ESPN provided the note that this was the Angels’ first ninth-inning comeback win in 106 games. Claims that the chant affected the Cardinals’ pitcher or directly altered on-field outcomes are presented in the original coverage as speculation and are not confirmed causation.
We have kept descriptions of fan chants and protest messages as reported from the stands and in coverage, and we treat suggestions about their influence on play as unproven. For original coverage, see the Fox News article: Angels fans’ ‘tarps off’ cheer helps team break 106-game streak against Cardinals. ESPN’s game notes were cited in postgame reporting on the ninth-inning comeback.
Additional video and firsthand accounts circulated on social platforms after the game; those posts informed descriptions of the chants but are not independently verified here.
