The Los Angeles Angels held off a late rally from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, securing a 4-3 victory at Angel Stadium and extending their winning streak to three games.
Ryan Zeferjahn escaped a tense ninth inning by striking out Cedric Mullins with the bases loaded, preserving the one-run lead and earning his second save of the season. The Angels built an early four-run advantage behind rookie starter Sam Aldegheri and then withstood Tampa Bay’s comeback attempt.
The win continued a positive stretch for Los Angeles, which has shown improved form after spending much of the season near the bottom of the American League standings. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, missed several opportunities to complete its comeback after falling behind early.
Mancini Delivers Early Breakthrough
The Angels wasted little time putting pressure on Rays starter Shane McClanahan.
Mike Trout and Jo Adell opened the first inning with back-to-back singles. After McClanahan retired, the next batter, Trey Mancini, stepped to the plate and drove a triple into the gap, bringing home both runners for a 2-0 lead.
The early offense gave Aldegheri breathing room and allowed Los Angeles to control the game’s pace from the start.
Mancini’s hit highlighted a productive night for the Angels lineup, which consistently found timely hits against Tampa Bay’s ace before the Rays bullpen settled the game down.
Angels Add To Lead In Third
Los Angeles increased its advantage in the third inning.
Oswald Peraza led off with a double and later scored when Nick Madrigal lined a two-out single. Madrigal then stole second base and came home moments later on Logan O’Hoppe’s RBI single.
The sequence pushed the Angels ahead 4-0 and ended McClanahan’s night after four innings.
Despite recording seven strikeouts, McClanahan struggled with command and location throughout his outing. He allowed eight hits and four runs before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Reliever Mason Englert helped keep the Rays within striking distance by delivering four scoreless innings of relief.
Aldegheri Continues Strong Start
Aldegheri earned the win and improved to 2-1 after another encouraging performance.
The rookie left-hander allowed two runs, only one of them earned, across five innings. He surrendered three hits, walked three and struck out key hitters when needed.
Aldegheri worked through early traffic after allowing a hit and two walks in the first inning. He then settled in and retired 10 consecutive batters, keeping Tampa Bay’s lineup off balance.
His toughest challenge came in the fifth.
Chandler Simpson walked to begin the inning, Nick Fortes reached on an error, and Taylor Walls laid down a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out.
Aldegheri responded by striking out Yandy Díaz looking. Jonathan Aranda followed with an RBI single that cut the lead to 4-2, but Aldegheri limited the damage when Junior Caminero grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The sequence proved critical as the Angels maintained a two-run cushion heading into the later innings.
Rays Push Late But Fall Short
Tampa Bay continued to pressure the Angels bullpen as the game moved into the final frames.
The Rays nearly added another run in the eighth, but Chandler Simpson made one of the game’s best defensive plays. The speedy outfielder robbed Jo Adell of a home run, keeping the deficit at two runs and giving Tampa Bay a chance to rally.
The Rays capitalized in the ninth.
Jonathan Aranda delivered a two-out RBI single against Mitch Farris to trim the lead to 4-3. After Farris allowed additional baserunners, manager Kurt Suzuki turned to Zeferjahn with two runners aboard and two outs.
Zeferjahn immediately faced trouble. He walked Caminero on four pitches, loading the bases and bringing the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position.
With the game hanging in the balance, Zeferjahn battled Mullins and finished him with a strikeout on a 2-2 pitch, ending the threat and securing the victory.
Angels Continue Positive Stretch
The Angels combined timely hitting, solid starting pitching, and just enough bullpen execution to earn their third straight win.
Mancini’s two-run triple provided the early spark, while Aldegheri delivered another promising outing as he continues to establish himself in the rotation.
Although the bullpen made things difficult in the final inning, Los Angeles completed the job and maintained momentum heading into the middle game of the series.
Up Next
The Angels will look to secure the series on Saturday night behind staff ace José Soriano. The right-hander enters the matchup with a 7-4 record and a 2.96 ERA.
Tampa Bay is scheduled to counter with right-hander Griffin Jax, who carries a 1-4 record and a 4.15 ERA as the Rays attempt to even the series.
