ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Los Angeles Angels started well, finished poorly, and suffered a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Tropicana Field.
With one out in the first inning, Mike Trout pounded a fastball off of the center-field wall for a double. Albert Pujols soon smashed the 597th home run of his career to left field, and the Angels had a quick lead.
An inning later, starter Ricky Nolasco yielded it. He issued a leadoff walk to Logan Morrison, then, with two outs, fired a fastball along the outer edge of the strike zone to Steven Souza. With an 0-and-1 count, Souza tracked it and hammered it high into the air and 423 from home plate. The score was tied.
An inning after that, the Rays moved ahead on back-to-back one-out doubles by Corey Dickerson and Kevin Kiermaier. Nolasco then walked Evan Longoria, eliciting a visit from pitching coach Charles Nagy. When Logan Morrison flied out to left field, both runners moved up, but Nolasco struck out Beckham and marched forward.
He next gave up a hit in the sixth, when Longoria led off with an infield single. But shortstop Andrelton Simmons noticed that Longoria had made a minor effort to advance to second. He threw to first, and Longoria was ruled out. Morrison then doubled before Nolasco struck out Beckham for the third time. While Colby Rasmus batted, Nolasco spun and fired to second, picking off Morrison. After review, the close call stood.
Nolasco lasted two batters into the seventh. Both of those batters, Rasmus and Souza, slammed home runs to force his exit. The 34-year-old right-hander has given up 16 home runs this season, second-most in the major leagues.
Facing Rays right-hander Erasmo Ramirez and an array of hard throwers in relief, the Angels produced only four hits, none after the fourth inning. For only the 43rd time in franchise history, they did not produce a single.
Ramirez is unrelated to the Angels' JC Ramirez, but the two are friends. They hail from nearby cities in their native Nicaragua.
At 5 feet 10, the Rays' Ramirez is one of the shortest pitchers in the sport, six inches shorter than the Angels'.
JC Ramirez said most Nicaraguans are not blessed with height, which hinders their athletic aspirations. Laughing, he credited his height to his Cuban father.
