Tyler Anderson threw seven scoreless innings and got offensive support from Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Anthony Rendon in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Anderson (2-0), who threw seven scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins in his previous start, made it a clean sweep of the Florida teams with Monday’s performance.
He became the first pitcher in Angels history to begin the season with consecutive starts of seven or more scoreless innings. Anderson took the mound to begin the eighth but after he allowed a leadoff single to Jose Siri, Angels manager Ron Washington removed Anderson from the game.
Anderson, like he did in his first start, gave up just four hits. He walked one and made 91 pitches.
Ward had three hits — all singles — and three RBIs, while Trout homered, tripled and singled.
It was the 14th time in his career that Trout has homered and tripled in the same game. Only 21 players in major league history have had as many such games. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig share the major league record, each doing it 31 times.
Trout tripled and homered in his first two at-bats, but was not able to hit for the cycle, something he’s accomplished once before (May 21, 2013, vs. Seattle). He grounded out twice before getting a single in his final at-bat in the eighth inning.
Ward did not have an extra-base hit but was 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position. That included a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning that increased the Angels’ lead from 3-0 to 5-0.
The Angels took an early lead against Rays starter Zach Eflin (1-2), scoring two runs in the first inning. Rendon led off with a single, one of his three hits in the game, and scored on Trout’s triple into the right field corner.
Ward followed with a single to score Trout and put the Angels up 2-0.
Trout’s solo homer in the third inning — his fifth of the season — gave the Angels a 3-0 lead.
The Rays scored once in the ninth inning.
–Field Level Media