Despite the Los Angeles Angels turning their first triple play in 26 years (1997), and Shohei Ohtani hitting his second grand slam in his career, they still found a way to take one on the chin.
Harold Ramírez had three hits and Josh Lowe drove in three runs as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Angels in 10 innings Friday night.
“You’re probably not supposed to win that game after we give up that home run to Ohtani,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We had a lot of big at-bats late and certainly to get back into the ball game. I feel like offensively we’ve been doing a lot of good things lately and we needed every one of them today.”
Tampa Bay (74-50) have won five of their last seven games. They are holding on to the first AL wild card spot and are two games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead.
Ohtani’s grand slam in the bottom of the second inning gave the Angels a seemingly comfortable 5-1 advantage, however, they were unable to maintain it. The Rays appeared as if they might take the lead in the ninth inning, but the Halos turned their first triple play in 26 years to keep it tied at 6.
With runners at first and third and the infield playing shallow, Ramirez hit a grounder to Luis Rengifo. The shortstop made the short toss to second baseman Brandon Drury to get Randy Arozarena and then threw to first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who was playing in his first big-league game.
Yandy Diaz was at third but did not go when the ball was hit. He waited until Drury threw to first to start home, but Schanuel made a perfect throw to catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who gunned down Diaz on his left shoulder before he could touch home. O’Hoppe was activated from the IL earlier in the day after missing nearly four months due to a torn right labrum in his shoulder.
“When you see a rookie like that you hope that he gets a little bit nervous. But that play, it seemed like he had been playing in the big leagues for 10 years,” Diaz said of Schanuel.
Despite being the first team since the Detroit Tigers in 2017 to hit a grand slam and turn a triple play in the same game, the Angels woes and far off from playoff contention continue. They have dropped three of their last four and are 4-12 in the month of August.
Los Angeles (60-63) is also 7 1/2 games out of the third and final wild card spot.
The Angels had a chance to win it in the ninth when they had runners on first and second with one out, but Ohtani struck out and Drury grounded out to send it into extra innings.
“We certainly had our opportunities there. We just didn’t push a run across,” Nevin said. “A couple got away there in the ninth inning. That’s what happens when games get like this.”
The Rays finally broke through with three in the 10th. Pinch-runner Jose Siri started in scoring position as the automatic runner and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Carlos Estevez (5-4).
Luke Raley drove in Siri for the go-ahead run while Lowe and Rene Pinto also contributed RBI base hits.
Estevez, who was unblemished in his first 23 save opportunities to begin the season, has struggled mightily in August. He is 0-3 with three saves and a 14.14 ERA in seven outings this month. Time to go back to the drawing board.
Andrew Kittredge worked the 10th for his first save. Pete Fairbanks (1-4) got the win.
Ohtani lined an 89.9 mile per hour cutter from Erasmo Ramírez over the wall in right field for his 43rd homer of the season and tied Atlanta Braves Matt Olson for the major-league lead.
Both of Ohtani’s grand slams have come against the Rays.
