Rays 3 Angels 7: Death, Taxes, and Mike Trout Home Runs

So far 2024 is the season where the Rays can have a starter get into the seventh inning with a shutout, and yet ultimately lose the game because their bullpen gives up seven runs in the final two innings.

And as for the offense, well, for the most part picture ground ball outs.

Before the eighth inning, this was a pretty decent pitcher’s duel. The Angel’s Patrick Sandoval was impressive, with his fastball command better than it has been this season, and his curve ball working as well. He pitched five strong innings, inducing a lot of ground balls alongside just four hits and two walks, as well as a run.

But Zach Eflin was even a touch better, finishing 6.1 innings. He scattered six hits and gave up no walks at all.

Each pitcher got into one jam. The Angels loaded the bases against Eflin which led to his departure in the seventh. Jason Adam got the inning ending double play, however, to keep the Angels scoreless, thanks to a typically good play from Jose Caballero.

And Sandoval also got into a bases loaded jam in the fifth. A few groundouts later the Rays had scored a run but the inning was over.

Eflin’s very strong performance makes it that much more disappointing that both the Rays offense and the bullpen (other than Jason Adam) performed so poorly. Phil Maton lost the slim lead in the eighth with the inevitable Mike Trout two run home run (note to Kevin Cash: you can intentionally walk the guy! It’s allowed!), then loaded the bases so that Matt Thaiss could clear them with a three RBI double. And by the end of the eighth the Rays slender 1-0 lead was an insurmountable 5-1 deficit.

In the bottom of the inning Harold Ramirez hit a two-run homer just to tease us, but Kevin Kelly gave those two runs back in the ninth, to bring us to our ignominious final score of 7-3.