Angels Come Up Short Against Tampa Bay As They Drop Rubber Game Of Series, 5-2

The Los Angeles Angels had a chance to win their second straight series going into the rubber game of their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Rays earned a 5-2 win that gave the Angels a 3-3 record for their latest road trip. 

That represents success for the Angels these days, and the problem this time out was another poor start by Jack Kochanowicz, who give up three earned runs as he failed to make it through the third inning. 

The Rays jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Jonathan Aranda, but the Angels got that one back in the second as Jose Siri scored on a wild pitch by Rays starter Shane McClanahan after Siri singled and Logan O’Hoppe doubled him over to third. 

Kochanowicz got himself in trouble in the third with a pair of walks to open the inning, and both Aranda and Richie Palacios wound up scoring. Aranda came around on a single by Victor Mesa Jr., and Kochanowicz walked in the third run by giving Cedric Mullins a free pass. 

That was enough for manager Kurt Suzuki, who brought in reliever Mitch Farris to stop the bleeding. Farris was effective initially, and he gave the Angels a chance to close within a run in the seventh.

McClanahan was gone by that point, and the Angels got a solo home run by O’Hoppe off Rays reliever Casey Legumina to make it 3-2. 

That was as close as the Halos got, however. Farris ran out of gas in the seventh as Junior Caminero walked, and a botched force play by shortstop Zach Neto led to a pair of unearned runs. The key blow was a single by pinch hitter Ben Williamson off reliever Drew Pomeranz, who also walked in the fifth run by giving Yandy Diaz another free pass. 

The Angels were shut down after that, and they wound up scoring just two runs despite getting nine hits. Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker finished up on the mound for the Rays, with Baker getting his 16th save of the season. 

The game was a typical example of how the Halos keep shooting themselves in the foot, as they walked in two of Tampa Bay’s five runs. The Angels now head back to Anaheim for a brief home series against the Colorado Rockies, but it almost doesn’t matter who the the opponent is when they can't throw strikes and play this kind of baseball.