Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, right, celebrates with third base coach Eric Young Sr. after hitting a two-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Phil Maton during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mike Trout’s two-run homer highlighted a five-run outburst in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday night.
Los Angeles Angels starter Patrick Sandoval pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Trout gave the Angels a 2-1 lead with his seventh homer, a 111.1 mph, 420-foot shot down the left-field line off Pat Maton (0-1). Matt Thaiss extended the Angels’ lead to 5-1 with three-run double.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
“We needed a big one at the right time and he came through, and it opened it up for everyone else,” Angels manager Ron Washington said.
It was Trout’s 17th game-tying or go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later. In his last 10 games against Tampa Bay, he is hitting ,472 (17 for 36) with eight home runs and 15 RBIs.
Taylor Ward added a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Kevin Kelly, extending the Los Angeles lead to 7-3. The 30-year-old outfielder has 19 RBIs this season.
Reliever Luis Garcia (1-0) worked an inning and earned the win.
Tampa Bay entered with the highest bullpen ERA in the majors at 6.23.
Harold Ramírez had three RBIs, and pulled the Rays within 5-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Matt Moore.
Washington tweaked his lineup — moving Trout from third to second, and shifting Ward to third from fourth — “to get some offense.” Miguel Sanó battled fourth and had three hits.
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Curtis Mead reaches for a ground ball single hit by Los Angeles Angels’ Jo Adell during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
“We finally sustained some stuff on the offensive side, as we’ve been searching for,” Washington said.
Los Angeles entered 19th in majors in batting average at .240, and 20th in runs with 67.
Los Angeles Angels’ Brandon Drury, left, races to first base as Tampa Bay Rays’ Zach Eflin makes a play on a comebacker to the mound during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin allowed six hits and struck out five over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. It appeared that Eflin got hit near the left wrist by Jo Adell’s 100.1 mph liner in the second inning, and had a liner by Brandon Drury go off his glove in the fifth.
Los Angeles Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, right, forces out Tampa Bay Rays’ Curtis Mead at the plate on a bases-loaded ground ball hit by Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
“They got a couple hits in the first inning and then he kind of quieted them down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Really executed pitches.”
The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but scored just once on Ramírez’s one-out high-hopper that starter Patrick Sandoval fielded behind the mound and got the out at first.
Sandoval gave up one run and four hits over five innings, and finished with three strikeouts and two walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: 2B Brandon Drury left with a hamstring injury and will be evaluated Tuesday. … Reliever Robert Stephenson, who agreed to a $33 million, three-year contract in January, is getting tests for elbow soreness. The 31-year-old right-hander started the season on the IL due to right shoulder inflammation. … 1B Nolan Schanuel (testicular contusion) was back in the lineup. He left Saturday’s game in the bottom of the third inning after fouling off a pitch in the top of the inning.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Jose Siri, left, gets ready to bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Rays: OF Josh Lowe (right oblique strain) could join Triple-A Durham on Thursday. He hit .292 with 20 homers. 83 RBIs and stole 32 bases last year.
UP NEXT
Angels RHP José Soriano (0-2) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-1) are Tuesday’s starters.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Los Angeles Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, left, walks to the mound to talk with starter Patrick Sandoval, center, during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, April 15, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
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