A three-run homer by Ji-Man Choi in the sixth gives the Rays a lead they can’t hang on to.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Time after time this season, as in many others, the bullpen has saved the day for the Rays.
Sunday, it cost them.
The relief trio of Ryan Thompson, Jeffrey Springs and Matt Wisler combined to a lose a two-run lead and the game, as the Rays ended up falling to the Angels 6-4.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Rays, dropping them to 47-32 and into second place in the American League East, one-half game behind the Red Sox (47-31).
The game was back and forth, with Angels star Shohei Ohtani playing a huge role.
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the fourth off Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough. Ohtani walked, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on an infield single.
The Rays tied it in the fifth on a homer by Brandon Lowe off Angels starter Patrick Sandoval. It was only Lowe’s ninth hit in 86 at-bats against lefties this season, though his fourth homer.
The Angels went back ahead 2-1 in the sixth when David Fletcher led off with a single and scored on Ohtani’s double to right, on which he seemed to break his bat.
The Rays came right back and took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Rookie Wander Franco slapped a soft single to left, snapping an 0-for-18 skid since his two-hit debut, and Austin Meadows followed with a single.
Angels manager Joe Maddon brought in right-hander Mike Mayers to face Randy Arozarena, and that worked as he popped out. Not so much after that, as Ji-Man Choi delivered a three-run homer to right, his third of the season.
But the Rays’ bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
Thompson, who had two days off after working three straight, wasn’t sharp, allowing doubles to Taylor Ward and, with one out, No. 9 hitter Juan Lagares, which got the Angels one run.
The lefty Springs then came on with two outs and gave up a triple to Ohtani, scoring the tying run.
The Angels took the lead for the third time in the eighth when Phil Gosselin knocked Wisler’s second pitch over the leftfield fence.
Ohtani added to his big day with a homer, his 25th of the season, in the ninth off Pete Fairbanks.
Yarbrough gave the Rays a solid six innings, allowing just the two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four. That was a big improvement over his last outing, when he lasted only two innings and allowed five runs Tuesday against the Red Sox.
