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 Richards (5-6) gave up a run and two hits while striking out six in the opener of a four-game series. The seven walks matched Richards' total from his previous five starts combined, but the Rays stranded eight runners while he was in the game and 12 altogether.
Ben Zobrist drove in both of Tampa Bay's runs with a first-inning homer and a sixth-inning single. The Rays, coming off a three-game sweep by Oakland, have lost five straight and eight of nine to fall 6 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston -- their largest deficit since July 7. Just nine games ago, they were tied with the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases twice against Richards, and failed to score in each situation.
In the second, Richards retired David DeJesus on a grounder to first after a pair of two-out walks and an error by rookie third baseman Luis Jimenez on Yunel Escobar's grounder. Richards walked three more in the fifth before striking out rookie Wil Myers on a full count with his 27th pitch of the inning.
Rookie Chris Archer (8-6) threw 90 pitches in 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs and nine hits in a rematch of his 4-1 victory against Richards last Wednesday at St. Petersburg, Fla. The right-hander's outing was the second-shortest of his 22 big league starts.
The Angels, who have won nine of 10, took a 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI single by rookie Kole Calhoun. Archer minimized the damage, retiring Jimenez on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop with the bases loaded after an intentional walk to Hank Conger.
But Los Angeles got three more in the fourth. Andrew Romine scored on J.B. Shuck's groundout, and the switch-hitting Aybar pulled a 3-2 pitch down the right-field line for his fifth homer.
The Angels extended the margin to 10-2 with a five-run sixth that included Aybar's two-run triple against Brandon Gomes, bases-loaded RBI singles by Conger and Peter Bourjos, and Jimenez's sacrifice fly.
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Aybar's four RBIs tied a career high for the shortstop, who also drove in four against the Rays in a 6-5 victory last Tuesday at Tropicana Field -- including a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth against closer Fernando Rodney.
Zobrist, the second batter Richards faced, hit his 11th home run before the Angels responded in the bottom half with an RBI single by Josh Hamilton after Mike Trout singled and stole his 30th base. Trout, who turned 22 on Aug. 7, became the youngest player in major league history with two seasons of at least 20 homers and 30 steals.
NOTES: Rays OF Sam Fuld was used as a reliever for the first time in his career, retiring Shuck on a fly to center on five pitches. He became the third position player in franchise history to pitch in a game, joining Wade Boggs (1999) and Josh Wilson (2007). ... Grant Green capped the scoring in the seventh with his first major league homer while batting for Aybar. It was the first home run by an Angels pinch hitter at the "Big A" since Aug. 15, 2011, by Russell Branyan against Texas' Alexi Ogando. ... The Rays will activate LHP Matt Moore (14-3) from the disabled list Tuesday and start him against Jason Vargas. The first-time All-Star, who missed the entire month of August because of elbow soreness, won six consecutive outings before getting a no-decision his previous time out on July 28 at Yankee Stadium. ... Richards' walk total was the highest by an Angels pitcher since May 25, 2012, when Ervin Santana issued seven free passes in a five-inning no-decision at Seattle. ... Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who was optioned to Class A Charlotte on Aug. 27, rejoined his teammates in the clubhouse before the game and will officially be added to the roster on Tuesday. "It wasn't very much fun, to say the least," said Hellickson, 10-8 with a 5.28 ERA. "It's just one start that I've missed, and I guess I'm motivated to get back out there."
[Associated
Press; By JOE RESNICK]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
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