Tampa Bay Rays clinch series-opener against Los Angeles Angels 5-1 to lead 1-0 - MLB Update
The American League’s Tampa Bay Rays outclassed the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 in the series-opener at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday, June 6 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
The Rays’ dominated the game right from the first inning posting two runs against the Angels’ strong starter Tyler Chatwood. Matt Joyce hit a sacrifice for an RBI single to lead the game off for his club while Justin Ruggiano touched a line drive single
to make their position strong over the game.
Chatwood did not lose his momentum despite getting under a 2-0 deficit, as he threw strong un-playable pitches in his next four innings. He did not scatter more runs until sixth when Ruggiano launched a dazzling two-run homer to the left-field to take the
lead to 4-0.
The score was 4-0 when Matt Joyce hit a line drive single to elevate it to 5-0 in the top of the seventh inning.
By this time, the Rays’ starter David Price has not given any run but in the bottom of the eighth inning, he gave the Angels’ catcher Jeff Mathis an RBI single that dropped the score to 5-1. After this run, the Rays’ manager Joe Maddon replaced Price with
reliever Cesar Ramos, who threw scoreless innings to hold his game.
Price allowed just one run on five hits without allowing any walk and struck-out seven batters to earn his seventh game of the season. The 25-year-old left-hand pitcher now has a 7-5 record with 3.35 ERA after 13 starts in 2011. His performance took the
Rays to their 31st win in this season.
The Angels, on the other hand, had lost their 32nd game of the season. It was the third-consecutive defeat for the Angels since they beat New York Yankees on June 3 in the series-opener that they lost 2-1.
Chatwood, who was making his 12th start, lost his third game after he won two consecutive games one each against Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves in May. The 21-year-old rookie pitcher allowed five runs on nine hits, walked one besides making five strike-outs
over seven innings to bear his third loss of the season.
The Promising hurler threw 61 strikes of 91 pitches but was not fortunate to earn his manager another game. However, closer Hisanori Takahashi threw hitless last two innings but remained helpless to grab the game back to his side.
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