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 The Rays won a game they had no business winning Wednesday night,
but it is becoming more the norm than the exception. They rallied
from a 4-0 deficit and outlasted the Los Angeles Angels in 10
innings, 6-5, at Angel Stadium.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier had the decisive blow, a leadoff
homer in the 10th inning off Angels closer Huston Street. But there
were plenty of others who made big plays and allowed the Rays to
remain one game behind the first-place Yankees in the American
League East.
"I think we're flying under the radar, and we like it," said Rays
outfielder Steven Souza Jr., whose three-run homer in the sixth
inning gave the Rays a 5-4 lead. "We're going to keep playing our
game. I don't know when the point is where teams take us serious,
but we're going to go about our business the same way since day one,
and we're having a blast."
The Rays scored all six runs on home runs in the final game of the
three-game series. Designated hitter Joey Butler hit a two-run
homer, joining Kiermaier and Souza.
Kiermaier, who was not in the starting lineup but entered the game
in the seventh, got to the ballpark early Wednesday to get in some
extra batting practice.
"Pretty much just hitting pitches on the plate," Kiermaier said when
asked what he worked on. "I've been chasing a lot this whole season,
that's been my biggest problem. So I'm trying to be more selective
and don't miss pitches over the plate that I should hit. Looking for
my pitch, and right there I got it and didn't miss."
Brad Boxberger (3-3), the fifth of seven Rays pitchers to appear in
the game, got the win over Street (2-2). Steve Geltz got the final
two outs in the bottom of the 10th for his second save of the
season.
Angels starter Hector Santiago looked to be in control through five
innings, but the Rays scored five in the sixth on the home runs by
Butler and Souza.
"He had the leadoff hitter (left fielder Brandon Guyer) 0-2, and
then the wheels fell off," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He
was throwing the ball real well, he just made some mistakes they
didn't miss."
Rays starter Nathan Karns was nowhere near as good as he was
recently, but he was set up to get the win before the Angels rallied
with a run in the ninth to tie the game at 5 on shortstop Erick
Aybar's sacrifice fly. Karns gave up four runs on five hits and
three walks in five innings.
Like Santiago, Karns gave up two home runs: Angels center fielder
Mike Trout hit a solo homer in the first inning, and second baseman
Johnny Giavotella hit a two-run homer in the fourth.
After the Rays rallied to go up in the sixth, the Angels had their
chances to regain the lead but wasted them, as the Rays defense
stepped up with big plays when the Angels ran the bases
aggressively.
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In the seventh, third baseman David Freese (double) was on second
base with one out when catcher Carlos Perez hit a ball up the middle
that was knocked down by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.
The ball trickled into shallow center field, so Angels third base
coach Gary DiSarcina waved home Freese, who was easily thrown out at
the plate.
"The Cabby (Cabrera) play was just incredible, a run-saving play,"
Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "The awareness to pick it up and fire
it home, knowing that guy (Freese) is coming. He's played shortstop
a long time and made some big plays."
In the eighth, first baseman Albert Pujols led off with a single and
went to third on right fielder Kole Calhoun's single. Calhoun,
though, was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw to
third.
Then in the ninth, though the Angels tied the game in the inning,
they missed a chance for more when pinch runner Taylor Featherston
was thrown out trying to steal second by catcher Rene Rivera, who
made a perfect throw after scooping a pitch out of the dirt.
"It looked like (Featherston) got a decent jump, and Rivera painted
the bag and just barely got him," Scioscia said. "Rivera made an
unbelievable play. Picked the ball in the dirt and threw a bullet
right on the bag. You have to tip your cap."
NOTES: Rays RHP Chris Archer became the second pitcher since 1914 to
strike out 12 or more without a walk in two consecutive starts.
Archer fanned 12 Mariners on May 28, then struck out 15 Angels on
Tuesday. The other pitcher to accomplish the feat was the Mets'
Dwight Gooden in 1984. ... Los Angeles LHP Edgar Ibarra made his
major league debut Tuesday, throwing two scoreless innings of
relief. Along with LHP Jose Alvarez and LHP Cesar Ramos, the Angels
have three lefties in the bullpen. ... Angels SS Erick Aybar entered
the game with a 10-game hitting streak and hits in 21 of his
previous 22 games. ... Rays LHP Matt Moore, recovering from Tommy
John surgery, threw 2 1/3 innings for Class A Charlotte on Wednesday
in a rehab assignment. He allowed two runs (both unearned), two hits
and two walks.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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