Big innings have defined the first two games of the three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays, and perhaps one more may be in order in Sunday afternoon’s finale in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In the opener on Friday, the Rays crafted a seven-run seventh inning and topped the visitors 8-5, but the Angels bounced back with four runs in the first and seven in the ninth to rout Tampa Bay 14-3 on Saturday and square the series at a game apiece.
Wade Meckler hit his first grand slam in his 28th career game, while Joe Adell popped a three-run shot. Solo shots by Mike Trout, No. 418 of his career, and Oswald Peraza added to the power display.
Los Angeles’ first-year manager Kurt Suzuki had warned about the American League-leading Rays’ big-inning explosiveness before his club turned the tide Saturday.
“It’s just one bad inning,” Suzuki, whose club is 6-2 in the past eight, said of the Rays’ seven-spot Friday. “A walk and then a couple of homers. That kind of started the inning off, and it’s just what Tampa does. They put pressure on you, can run, bunt and do all that type of stuff. It’s hard to get stopped.”
Angels shortstop Zach Neto was injured in a violent collision Saturday at home plate with pitcher Ian Seymour as he scored on a wild pitch. Suzuki said Neto got whiplash in the contact.
Infielder Nick Madrigal, who went to second base as Peraza moved to short to replace Neto, left the game with a cut lip after being hit by a pitch and having the ball carom to his mouth.
The Rays lost for just the second time in the past 18 home games and are 20-6 in their dome.
In the finale, Shane McClanahan (5-2, 2.52 ERA) will make his 11th start and look to record a victory for the fifth time in the past seven outings.
Over his past six starts totaling 32 innings, the left-hander has allowed only four runs, all in a home appearance against the Baltimore Orioles two weeks ago, and has a 4-0 record and a 1.13 ERA.
The 29-year-old hurler has 50 strikeouts in 50 innings and owns a 1.04 WHIP.
McClanahan and his teammates were welcomed to their homestand by a “Tarps Off” crew: A boisterous, bouncy, shirtless group of males who swirled towels constantly and cheered on the Rays enthusiastically.
A former player at nearby University of South Florida, McClanahan is excited about the crazy behavior in the stands.
“It was awesome (on Friday),” he said. “I felt like the atmosphere was electric. We had thousands of people in left field twirling a towel all game. It kind of feels like a playoff game at times. … It’s very appreciated.”
Against Los Angeles in four starts, McClanahan is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 23 innings and a 0.83 WHIP. The Angels have hit .160 without a home run.
In one more start than McClanahan, 25-year-old Jack Kochanowicz is 2-3 with a 4.99 ERA but is 0-3 with a 7.52 over five appearances in May.
The Philadelphia-born right-hander will make his debut against Tampa Bay.
He has not won since a 10-2 victory at the Cincinnati Reds on April 10. The 6-foot-7 pitcher yielded one run on two hits over seven innings.
–Field Level Media
