Drury has 2 homers and 5 RBIs as Angels beat playoff-bound Rays 8-3
Los Angeles Angels' Brandon Drury singles off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jalen Beeks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brandon Drury homered twice with five RBIs and the Los Angeles Angels stopped a six-game skid by beating the AL wild card-leading Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Wednesday night.
Tampa Bay remained 2 1/2 games behind first-place Baltimore in the AL East.
Drury hit a three-run drive off Aaron Civale (7-5) during a four-run second that put the Angels ahead 6-0. He made it 8-1 on his 23rd homer, a two-run drive in the sixth against Erasmo Ramírez.
Los Angeles had been outscored 38-13 during its skid.
The teams combined to strike out 30 times, including 19 by Angels’ batters. The Angels' Jo Adell fanned four times and four teammates struck out three at-bats each.
Civale allowed six runs and seven hits over three innings. Since being acquired from Cleveland on July 31, he is 2-2 and has lasted 5 1/3 innings or fewer in eight of nine outings.
Reid Detmers. who missed his scheduled start Sunday due to illness, lasted just four innings despite being staked to a six-run lead. The lefty allowed one run, three hits and two walks but struggled with his command and threw 96 pitches. He did hold the Rays to 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jake Diekman dons a University of Nebraska football helmet as he catches the ball while warming up before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Diekman was born in Wymore, Nebraska. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Tampa Bay converted 2 of 16 chances with runners in scoring position overall.
Issac Paredes had a third-inning RBI single off Detmers, who had a no-hitter in his only other start against the Rays on May 10 last year.
Yandy Díaz cut the deficit to 8-3 when he flared a two-run double down the right-field line in the sixth off Andrew Wantz (2-0). Díaz went 1 for 4 , dropping his average to .322.
GRIDIRON WORKOUT
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Aaron Civale goes into his delivery against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Rays reliever Jake Diekman wore a Nebraska football helmet in the outfield during a pregame pitcher strength drill that involved catching a football while running pass patterns. Diekman is from Wymore, Nebraska.
GETTING ON-BASE
Los Angeles 1B Nolan Schanuel singled in the first to reach base in 24 straight games starting his career. It is the longest streak since current Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli had a 24-game run in 2003 with the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Zach Eflin (15-8) is looking to become the AL’s first 16-game winner Thursday against Angels RHP Griffin Canning (7-7). Atlanta RHP Spencer Strider tops the major’s with 18 victories.
