Angels Lead Rays 1-0 In 4-Game Series

The Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Monday night at Tropicana Field in the opener of the four-game series.

The @Angels score 7 runs in the final 2 innings to secure the victory! #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/hk0yUiVgCd

— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2024

Slow Start

Monday’s game, which happened to take place on MLB’s Jackie Robinson Day, was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Tampa Bay’s Jose Siri gave the Rays the lead in fifth, 1-0, by scoring on a RBI groundout from Harold Ramirez.

Tampa Bay held onto the lead until the eighth inning, when L.A.’s Mike Trout responded with his seventh home run of the season for a 2-1 Angels lead.

In his last 10 games, Trout is 12-for-40 with a double, two triples and four home runs.

Matt Thaiss hit a three-run double to give Los Angeles a 5-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth.

Ramirez answered with his own homer, allowing two more runs for the Rays, closing the lead to two (5-3).

Harold Ramírez – Tampa Bay Rays (1)
pic.twitter.com/dbjOgkMERs

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 16, 2024

To close the game, L.A.’s Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for a 7-3 lead. Angels reliever Luis Garcia held off the Rays in the bottom of the inning.

Rays Pitching Game

Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin pitched six and one-third innings of scoreless baseball. Eflin allowed six hits, struck out five, while allowing no walks. Tampa Bay’s pitching came apart as Phil Maton allowed five runs on five hits in the eighth inning, while striking out none and walking one.

Zach Eflin, Painted 92mph Sinker. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/GDM2VsTxCU

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 15, 2024

Next Up

The Rays face the Angels at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday for the second game of their four-game series. The Rays will start Aaron Chivale, while the Angels will open with Jose Soriano.