Rengifo lifts Angels over Rays 4-3; Tampa Bay loses 5th straight in opener of 13-game homestand
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) reacts after closing out the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
TAMPA, Fla. — Luis Rengifo hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Angels rallied to beat Tampa Bay 4-3 Tuesday night, extending the Rays’ losing streak to five in the opener of a 13-game homestand.
Kenley Jansen allowed singles to Jake Mangum and Taylor Walls starting the ninth but escaped a second-and-third, no-outs jam for his third save. Yandy Díaz grounded to Rengifo, who threw out Mangum at the plate from third, and Jansen struck out Brandon Lowe and José Caballero to seal the Angels’ third straight win.
Logan O’Hoppe became the first Angels catcher to homer in four straight games.
Tampa Bay drew 10,046 in its seventh sellout at Steinbrenner Field but dropped to 4-3 at its temporary home, the Yankees spring training ballpark.
This series originally was scheduled for Anaheim but Major League Baseball rearranged the schedule to have the Rays play 19 of their first 22 games at home in an attempt to lessen the impact of summer storms at the open-air ballpark. The Rays’ usual home, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, has a dome that was damaged by Hurricane Milton last October.
The Rays went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners, including seven in the last three innings. Pete Fairbanks (1-1) was the loser.
Tampa Bay’s Kameron Misner was hit on the helmet by a 98.8 mph pitch from Brock Burke (2-0) in the eighth but stayed in the game.
Los Angeles Angels' Kyren Paris heads for first base after drawing a walk from Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Anaheim's Kyren Paris hit his third homer this seasons, a two-run drive off Shane Baz, with a video review upholding there was no fan interference.
Junior Caminero’s homer off Ben Joyce started a three-run seventh that overcame a 2-0 deficit. Christopher Morel hit a tying double and scored on Misner’s triple.
Travis d’Arnaud tit a tying RBI grounder in the eighth.
Key moment
Morel was ejected by plate umpire Rob Drake after a called strike in the eighth. He had words with the umpire and slammed his bat.
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero reacts after his solo home run off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ben Joyce during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Key stat
Jansen went 0 for 4, grounding into a double play, and is 1 for 24 in his first season with Tampa Bay.
Up next
Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 4.50 ERA) and Rays RHP start Wednesday.
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