Angels HR bats finish Rays 10-5
Gary Matthews Jr. put the Angels ahead with three-run homer in the sixth, Howie Kendrick added another three-run shot in the seventh, and Los Angeles finished a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 10-5 victory Wednesday.
Chone Figgins had three hits and scored the first run in a five-run seventh for the Angels, who improved to a season-best 24 games over .500. Los Angeles (68-44) racked up 24 runs in the series against the defending AL champion Rays, who have won just six times in their last 40 games at Angel Stadium.
Carlos Pena hit two homers for the Rays, who lost five times on their six-game West Coast trip. Pat Burrell added an eighth-inning shot as Tampa Bay was swept for the third time this season.
Matthews’ homer off reliever Grant Balfour (4-2) turned a deficit into a one-run lead, and the Angels piled on the next inning.
After Kendry Morales and Tampa Bay reliever Randy Choate faced off in a 12-pitch at-bat with the bases loaded, Morales finally drove in a run with a grounder to deep short, where Jason Bartlett’s errant throw allowed a second run to score.
One batter later, Kendrick’s first homer of the month landed in the Angels’ bullpen.