Rays rally late again to take lead, but Angels pull out the win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Amed Rosario looked like he was going to be the Rays’ star of the game for a second straight night, hitting a two-run go-ahead homer with two outs in the eighth inning.

But little has come easy for the Rays in this first month of the season.

Closer Pete Fairbanks faltered again, allowing two runs and turning what would have been a second straight inspiring win into a frustrating 5-4 loss to the Angels on Wednesday night.

Fairbanks got the first out in the ninth, then allowed a single to Nolan Schanuel (who was replaced by pinch-runner Jo Adell) and walked Zach Neto. Both runners moved up by stealing a base.

Anthony Rendon followed with a single that initially looked to score both, but the Rays challenged the call at the plate on Neto as Randy Arozarena made a strong throw, and a replay reversal resulted in Neto being called out. The Rays intentionally walked Mike Trout with two outs and first base open, but Taylor Ward delivered a single and the go-ahead run.

On Tuesday, Rosario’s 13th-inning infield single gave the Rays a walk-off win. Wednesday, he hit the two-run, go-ahead homer with two outs in the eighth.

The Rays trailed 3-2, in part due to a lapse of attention that led to an Angels run in the fifth.

With two outs in the eighth, Isaac Paredes singled off reliever Hunter Strickland. Rosario, a spring training signing for a bargain $1.5 million, knocked the next pitch just over the left-field wall.

The game got off to a bad start for the home squad, as Trout did what he does best, which is hit against the Rays, and homered off Zack Littell with one out in the first.

Trout came into play Wednesday with a 1.082 OPS that was the highest career mark for any player at Tropicana Field, with a minimum 100 plate appearances. Next in line are Travis Hafner (1.076), Brian Daubach (1.054), Ivan Rodriguez (1.022) and David Segui (1.020).

The Rays got even in the second. Rosario singled and then went to third on a single by Jose Caballero and a throwing error by third baseman Rendon. Jose Siri scored the run with a sac fly.

Littell did what he could to keep it close, as he eventually threw a career-high 107 pitches.

But in the fifth inning, Schanuel was on first after a leadoff single when Neto popped out to first baseman Yandy Diaz. Littell had headed toward first in case he had to cover the bag, and Diaz flipped him the ball.

As Littell was walking back to the mound with his head down, Schanuel broke for second. Littell looked up, but with no one covering second there wasn’t anything he could do.

That ended up hurting, as Rendon followed with a single that scored Schanuel.

The Angels built the lead to 3-1 in the sixth when Logan O’Hoppe hit a leadoff single, and Luis Rengifo a two-out RBI double, ending Littell’s night.

The Rays got one back in their sixth with some much needed help from the key hitters in their lineup. Diaz, who went into play with a .197 average, singled, and Harold Ramirez did the same to put runners on the corners. Then Arozarena, who went into the game with .169 average, laced a single to right, for just his seventh hit and third RBI since April 1.

The Rays couldn’t add on, however, as Paredes popped out against lefty starter Reid Detmers, and reliever Adam Cimber struck out Rosario and got Caballero to pop out.

The Rays had two on with one out in the seventh, but got some bad luck as Diaz lined a ball up the middle that Neto caught and then dived to second to double off Curtis Mead.