JO ADELL hit a game-winning home run on Sunday as the Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-2 (Wikipedia).

As Major League Baseball heads into the All-Star Break, one local team is staggering toward the pause and another is chugging ahead.

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-31, first place in the National League West) have had by far the better “first half” of the 2024 campaign, they have struggled over the last month to do better than .500 and lost two of three to the Detroit Tigers, including Sunday’s 4-3 loss in Michigan.

By contrast, the Los Angeles Angels (41-55) winning three of four games from the Seattle Mariners (leaders in the American League West) including Sunday’s dramatic come-from behind 3-2 win over the M’s in Anaheim.

Jo Adell’s winning home run

It was almost the stuff of fantasy: a home run in the eighth inning to beat the first place team.

It all came true for Jo Adell, who blasted a three-run homer to left field to lift the Halos to a 3-2 win over the Mariners.

The homer, Adell’s fifth of the season, was only the Angels’ third hit of the day, but it was enough as the home team’s pitching staff kept it close, allowing just four hits and two runs.

“Its huge, it’s the momentum we needed,” said Adell of the win that sends his team into the All-Star break.

The Angels will resume the 2024 season on Friday, July 26 in Oakland.

Tigers have last bite vs. LAD

Again the Los Angeles Dodgers blew an early lead and lost to the Detroit Tigers. The home team strung together a ninth inning triple, a single, a fielder’s choice and a throwing error to rally from behind with three runs to grab the 4-3 win.

The Blue Crew jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and survived runs scored in the fourth and fifth innings until the collapse in the bottom of the ninth.

Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith each had two hits for the Dodgers.

Although the All-Star Break is next, not all Dodgers will be idle. Six players from the team have been chosen for the National League All-Star team, led by Ohtani, who will be the starting DH. Mookie Betts will start in the outfield and Freddie Freeman at first base.