Angels' Superstars Rough Up Rays in Series Opener, Win 11-3
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels have a pair of superstars on their roster in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, and the pair has been a big reason why they've won 20 games already, tied for the best in baseball.
They got win No. 20 on Monday, thumping the Tampa Bay Rays 11-3 in a game where the two stars — along with first baseman Jared Walsh — raked against Rays pitching all night long. All three homered, and Ohtani, the reigning MVP, had two, hitting his first grand slam as a professional in the first game of the three-game series between two of the league's best teams.
It was the second straight loss for the Rays, who had won the first six games on this West Coast swing before losing in 10 innings on Sunday to end the series with the Seattle Mariners. And they lost in uncommon fashion, with shaky pitching, poor situational hitting and a rare defensive miscue by center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, a three-time Gold Glove winner.
“We we had some opportunities early to put the first runs up and we didn’t capitalize,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Our offense, I really think it’s fine. The timely hits just kind of eluded us.”
.@RaysBaseball manager Kevin Cash discusses the team's loss to the Angels on Monday night. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/iOb9f8V8VZ
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The Rays had guys on base all night, but were just 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. They scored first on a Randy Arozarena solo homer in the fourth inning, but then things fell apart from there.
Lefty Jeffrey Springs got the start, and was spectacular early, retiring the first 10 batters he faced. Trout singled with one out in the fourth, and then things got weird. Ohtani hit a ball to center field, and Kiermaier, as reliable as they come, lost the ball in the twilight sky and it fell for a hit.
Anthony Rendon then lined out to left field, which should have been the third out of the inning. Instead, Walsh came to the plate and hit a three-run homer to give the Angels a lead. It was a tough break for Springs.
“I thought Springs was awesome,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I don't think the stat line or the result shows how well he pitched.”
This got out of control from there. Trout and Ohtani hit back-to-back solo home runs off of Tampa Bay reliever Jalen Beeks in the sixth, an then Ohtani welcomed Rays reliever Calvin Faucher to the big leagues in the seventh. The first four batters he faced got on with two singles and two walks, and then Ohtani hit a grand slam to blow the game open.
“Not ideal. He got the first three guys on and then probably had the wrong three guys coming up, really good hitters,” Cash said. “That's part of it, but hopefully he can look back and have the appreciation that he was pitching to Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.”
The two teams play again Tuesday night, with Corey Kluber starting for the Rays. Ohtani is receiving his MVP award Tuesday, and then he will be the starting pitcher for the Angels on Wednesday in a great matchup with the Rays' Shane McClanahan.
"Honestly I didn't know it was my first one. In my head I thought I hit one in Japan, but I guess not," Ohtani said through his interpreter. "I wasn't expecting to hit two home runs. I wasn't sitting on any particular pitches. If the ball was in the zone, I wanted to put good swings on it. Trout set the tone the previous at-bat by hitting that home run."
Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.