Rays End Long Road Trip With Thrilling 10-Inning Win Over Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. — After consecutive blowout losses, the Tampa Bay Rays really needed a big game from ace left-hander Shane McClanahan. They got exactly that, and then came up with some extra-inning heroics to beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 in 10 innings on Wednesday
It was a nice cap to a successful 10-game, 10-day road trip, where the Rays finished 7-3 and left feeling good about winning the best-of-season pitcher's duel between McClanahan, the Rays' Opening Day starter and best pitcher, and Shohei Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP.
McClanahan pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out a season-high 11 batters to take over the AL lead in punch-outs. He was fabulous, and left with a 1-0 lead. Ohtani pitched six innings and allowed just two hits and one run, a homer by Tampa Bay center fielder Kevin Kiermaier in the second inning.
“We absolutely pitched well enough to win that game today, but so did they,'' Angeles manager Joe Maddon said, “It was just a good game of baseball. They beat us fair and square, but I liked the way we got after it again.”
The Angels ''got after it'' right after McClanahan left. Tampa Bay closer Andrew Kittredge, who's been very good all year but blew a save on Sunday to start this three-game losing streak, got into trouble in the bottom of the eighth.
The Rays were up 2-0 when he came if after they added an insurance run in the top or the inning. Taylor Walls walked, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brett Phillips and then scored on a Yandy Diaz ground ball.
But Kittredge got in trouble right away, and the Angels tied the game. He gave up a leadoff single to Jack Mayfield and then Taylor Ward, who has missed two games with hamstring tightness, laced a pinch-hit, two-run homer to tie the score 2-2 with one out. It was the Angels' first pinch-hit homer since Jared Walsh hit one on Sept. 9, 2019.
When Kittredge allowed a two-out single, left-handed reliever Colin Poche came on the race Ohtani, a left-handed hitter who hit two homers on Monday. Poche struck him out, and then J.P. Feyereisen pitched a perfect ninth to force extra innings.
Vidal Brujan, who was just called up from Durham on Tuesday, led off the top of the 10th with an RBI double to left to score the automatic runner Kiermaier for a 3-2 Rays lead, and then Harold Ramirez had a pinch-hit RBI single to center for a 4-2 lead.
The Angels had runners on first and third in the 10th, but couldn't score against lefty Brooks Raley. He got Ward to hit into a fielder’s choice and struck out Brandon Marsh to end the game, picking up his third save of the season. Feyereisen got the win, and is now 3-0 on the season.
McClanahan now has a league-high 58 strikeouts and his ERA is down to 2.52 after his impressive performance. He didn't get the victory, but it was a huge team win, capping off a very successful 7-3 road trip despite losing three in a row.
“I felt like I mixed (my pitches) pretty well,” he said. “Ultimately, I always want to get soft contact and let my defense work, because I can’t speak enough about how good that defense is behind me. Lot of great plays.”
"This is a really good team win."@RaysBaseball lefty Shane McClanahan discusses his start, the hitting from Vidal Brujan and Kevin Kiermaier after the win over the Angels on Wednesday night. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/CGF3i16CHt
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) May 12, 2022
The Rays, who are now 19-13 on the season and four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, have the day off and then start a big three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend at Tropicana Field.
Drew Rasmussen, who has won his last three starts and allowed just two runs in his last 16 innings, will start for Tampa Bay. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET, with games to follow on Saturday night (6:10 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (1:40 p.m.).
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- SUPERSTARS ROUGH UP RAYS (Monday): Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, including his first professional grand slam and Mike Trout and Jared Walsh added homers as the Los Angeles Angels pounded the Tampa Bay Rays 11-3 on Monday night in the first game of their three-game series in Anaheim. CLICK HERE
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Photo gallery from Rays-Angels
Kevin Kiermaier, Taylor Walls
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) and shortstop Taylor Walls (6) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Brooks Raley
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Brooks Raley (30) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the tenth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Taylor Walls, Vidal Brujan
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (6) and second baseman Vidal Brujan (7) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Kevin Kiermaier, Randy Arozarena, Harold Ramirez
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) and right fielder Harold Ramirez (43) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Vidal Brujan, Mike Trout
Anaheim, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) is out at second as Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Vidal Brujan (7) is late on the throw to first during the tenth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Yandy Diaz
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Yandy Diaz (2) hits a sacrifice RBI against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Brett Phillips
Anaheim, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ryan Tepera (52) throws to first for the out against Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Brett Phillips (35) during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Shohei Ohtani
Anaheim, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Shane McClanahan
Anaheim, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Shohei Ohtani
Anaheim, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Kevin Kiermaier
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) jogs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Kevin Kiermaier Home Run
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Shane McClanahan
Anaheim, Calif. — Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
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.