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.
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.
“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.
“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.
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.
“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.
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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