Angels vs Rays Recap: Rays rally past Angels 8-5

The Angels rolled into Tropicana Field down 22-36 on the season, desperate to snap a losing streak. The Rays welcomed them at 35-19, riding high and looking unbeatable at home. Right away, Yandy Diaz showed why Tampa Bay was the better team. The star slugger crushed a 95-mph sinker from Walbert Urena over the right field wall 364 feet. The crowd erupted. Just like that, the Rays were up 1-0 in the first inning. Urena settled down after that blast and kept the Rays quiet for a while. But you could feel Tampa Bay's power waiting to strike again. The Angels had talent too—Mike Trout, Zach Neto, and Jose Siri all prowled the lineup. Still, early on, the Rays looked like the team with all the momentum.

The Angels refused to go away quietly. In the third inning, Zach Neto ripped a single to right field. Vaughn Grissom stepped up next and delivered a clutch hit to left, scoring Neto. Suddenly it was 1-1. The game was tight now. In the fifth inning, Neto struck again with another single to right, this time scoring Jose Siri. The Angels grabbed a 2-1 lead. You could feel the momentum shifting. Grissom was playing hero ball at the plate, collecting two hits and two RBIs. These young Angels were scrappy fighters. But the Rays were about to unleash their real power. Nick Martinez had been solid on the mound for Tampa Bay, keeping things under control. The stage was set for a seventh inning nobody would forget. Both teams had shown they could swing the bats.

Then came the seventh inning explosion. Ryan Zeferjahn took over pitching for the Angels, and he could not find the strike zone. Yandy Diaz unloaded a sweeper deep into left center for his second home run, a massive 400-foot bomb. Mullins scored with him. It was 2-3 now. Seconds later, Jonathan Aranda rocketed one 410 feet to right center for another blast. The Rays were rollercoasting. Oliver Dunn bunted for a single, scoring Caminero. Then Richie Palacios exploded with a triple to right, bringing two more runs home. Nick Fortes added a sacrifice bunt. The inning was pure chaos. The Angels answered back in the eighth with Grissom doubling and Trout, Adell, and Meckler all scoring. But it was too late. Tampa Bay held on 8-5. The Rays improved to 36-19. The Angels fell to 22-37.