The Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays played the longest game of the 2024 MLB season thus far on Tuesday night. The Rays, however, defeated the Angels 7-6 in 13 innings, in a game where L.A. had several opportunities to steal the win. Manager Ron Washington’s team led 3-1 with two outs in the ninth, and scored in all but one of the extra innings.
However, defensive miscues — by Luis Rengifo in the ninth and Jose Cisnero in the 10th — kept the Rays alive long enough to take the victory away. While losses like these are often difficult, the Angels showed once again that this year’s team can hang tough with anyone. And that’s what Washington took away from the loss as well.
He spoke about the way the 13-inning affair went down and how he felt about the competitive spirit of the Angels in the eventual one-run loss, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“We had opportunities to win, they had opportunities to win, and we kept going back and forth, but they beat us,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “I liked the way my guys hung in there and kept coming back and kept fighting. At the end, somebody had to win, and they did, but we’ll be back tomorrow.”
Rengifo’s ninth-inning error was particularly costly, as it allowed the Rays to get the first baserunner that ultimately led to a two-out, two-run rally that tied the game and forced extras. But Washington is not holding anything against the utility infielder.
“Any time a ball is hit on the infield and it hits their glove, you want them to make it, but that wasn’t an easy play,” Washington said. “It wasn’t a routine play. Even if he came up with it, he might’ve had trouble getting the guy at first base.”
The Angels have had a statistically great infield defensively thus far this season. They rank in the top 10 in defensive runs saved at three of the four infield positions, all except second base. So miscues like that can be forgiven since they have not been the norm.
As for the game result, the Angels are going to lose games like this from time to time, and Washington wants to ensure the response is better than the loss.
Angels and Rays praise Mike Trout
Mike Trout was the hero in Monday’s series opener against the Rays, hitting a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning that began a five-run rally. Players and the manager from both the Angels and the Rays had praise for Trout following the Halos victory.