'Tarps off' fan movement hands Angels a walk-off win, but a 40-61 record keeps the pressure on Arte Moreno

A fan ritual that began in St. Louis has crossed the country, and on Monday night it may have changed the outcome of a game at Angel Stadium. For the first time in 106 games, the Los Angeles Angels came from behind in the ninth inning to win, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on a walk-off hit by pitch, according to ESPN.

How the ninth played out

The Angels trailed 2-1 going into the eighth inning. By the time Jo Adell stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the score was level and the bases were loaded. The Cardinals' pitcher hit Adell with a pitch, sending Zach Neto home with the winning run.

The crowd that lifted the Angels through those final innings was concentrated in right field. The "tarps off" cheer works as advertised: fans remove their shirts and wave them overhead. Hundreds did exactly that on Monday, carrying the noise through the eighth and into the decisive ninth.

A Cardinals invention turned against its creators

The movement traces back to Busch Stadium. On May 15, Cardinals fans performed the cheer during a game against the Kansas City Royals, and the moment landed hard enough that Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said it moved him to want to buy tickets for the fans who wanted to participate.

The Angels adopted the cheer in May as well. Against the backdrop of a season that has offered little else to celebrate, it spread through the right-field seats and became a recurring feature at Angel Stadium. Monday gave it a measurable result.

The record behind the celebration

The same section of Angel Stadium that generates the "tarps off" energy has also produced sustained "sell the team" chants directed at owner Arte Moreno. The Angels have not qualified for the postseason since 2014.

Monday's walk-off improves the club's record to 40-61, and they remain 11 games out of first place in the American League West. On balance, one win does not move that number.