Catch and release: Mike Trout gives up a home run

This is not how it's supposed to work. Mike Trout steals home runs, he doesn't push them over the fence with poorly timed and/or located jumps.

Alas, the top home run thief in Major League Baseball made a boo-boo Wednesday night, and it cost the Los Angeles Angels at least two runs. Or, if the glass is half-full in your universe, Trout helped comrade Jon Jay of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his fifth homer of the season.

With Team Fredbird already ahead by four runs in the second inning, Jay went the other way on what appeared to be a Jerome Williams change-up, driving it to deep left-center field. Trout tracked it to the fence — jumping, reaching and catching the ball — before dropping it over when the impact of crashing into the fence jarred it loose. Trout either had jumped too early or not quite high enough. The ball needed help to get over, just a nudge, and Trout had provided it.

D'oh! Instead of another robbery, it was the Angels who were six runs short against the Cardinals, who were cruising to a 12-2 victory at Angel Stadium. It was a good effort by Trout — just a little off on the execution, for once. It's OK. He'll probably make another mistake someday. And we'll be there to point it out. Boo, Big League Stew, boo!

Big BLS H/N: CBS Eye on Sports

Psst! You there, on the internet. You like baseball? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter. Also check out the BLS Facebook Page.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Power Rankings: NL Central puts another team on top
• CC Sabathia earns 200th career win; Max Scherzer goes to 13-0
• Alex Gordon suffers head injury on inside-the-park HR
• Dodgers' Yasiel Puig shaken up in collision with wall