Mike Trout’s two-run homer highlighted a five-run outburst within the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday evening.
Trout gave the Angels a 2-1 lead together with his seventh homer, a 111.1 mph, 420-foot shot down the left-field line off Pat Maton (0-1). Matt Thaiss prolonged the Angels’ result in 5-1 with three-run double.
Taylor Ward added a two-run homer within the ninth inning off Kevin Kelly, extending the Los Angeles result in 7-3. The 30-year-old outfielder has 19 RBIs this season.
Reliever Luis Garcia (1-0) labored an inning and earned the win.
Tampa Bay entered with the best bullpen ERA within the majors at 6.23.
Harold Ramírez had three RBIs, and pulled the Rays inside 5-3 with a two-run homer within the eighth inning off Matt Moore.
Angels supervisor Ron Washington tweaked his lineup — shifting Trout from third to second, and shifting Ward to 3rd from fourth — “to get some offense.” Miguel Sanó battled fourth and had three hits.
Los Angeles entered nineteenth in majors in batting common at .240, and twentieth in runs with 67.
Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin allowed six hits and struck out 5 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. It appeared that Eflin obtained hit close to the left wrist by Jo Adell’s 100.1 mph liner within the second inning, and had a liner by Brandon Drury go off his glove within the fifth.
The Rays loaded the bases with no outs within the fifth, however scored simply as soon as on Ramírez’s one-out high-hopper that starter Patrick Sandoval fielded behind the mound and obtained the out at first.
Sandoval gave up one run and 4 hits over 5 innings, and completed with three strikeouts and two walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Reliever Robert Stephenson, who agreed to a $33 million, three-year contract in January, is getting checks for elbow soreness. The 31-year-old right-hander began the season on the IL as a result of proper shoulder irritation. … 1B Nolan Schanuel (testicular contusion) was again within the lineup. He left Saturday’s recreation within the backside of the third inning after fouling off a pitch within the prime of the inning.
Rays: OF Josh Lowe (proper indirect pressure) may be part of Triple-A Durham on Thursday. He hit .292 with 20 homers. 83 RBIs and stole 32 bases final yr.
UP NEXT
Angels RHP José Soriano (0-2) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-1) are Tuesday’s starters.
