The Tampa Bay Rays (47-32) fell to the Los Angeles Angels (37-40) 6-4 on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. The Rays now trail the Red Sox by half a game in the American League East.
The Angels scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth and then a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth Ji-Man Choi hit a three-run bomb that gave the Rays a 4-2 lead.
The Angels rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning - thanks in part to a RBI triple from Angels star Shohei Ohtani. Phil Gosselin hit a home run in the eighth that gave the Angels a 5-4 lead, then Ohtani added some insurance with his twenty-fifth home run in the ninth inning as the Rays fell behind 6-4. Ohtani finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs driven in and two runs scored.
Ryan Yarbrough allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking one in six innings of work in the start for the Rays. Matt Wisler (1-3, 4.55) took the loss out of the bullpen for the Rays.
The Rays are now off on Monday before heading to Washington to battle the Nationals in a short two game series that begins on Tuesday night. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 7:05 - pregame coverage begins with Jay Recher and the Inside Pitch at 6 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620.
PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES