Will Rays' big inning and win over Angels be the start of something?

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Aug 6, 2025

Published in Baseball

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Tuesday’s seven-run fourth inning was the kind of breakout performance the Rays have been talking about as a platform to end their extended skid and get back to their winning ways.

After they turned that big inning into a 7-3 win over the Angels, now we’ll see what it leads to.

For the night, anyway, they had reason to be happy, winning for just the third time in 13 games, sixth in 22 and 10th in 34 since the end of a majors-best 25-9 run over late May and June.

The Rays improved to 56-59 and moved within 4 1/2 games and four teams of the final American League wild-card spot, now held by the Yankees.

After Yandy Diaz led off the fourth with an infield single, Brandon Lowe delivered their first big hit off Angels starter Jose Soriano, a two-run homer that was his 20th of the season. That made three consecutive seasons reaching the 20-mark for Lowe, and four overall.

The Rays kept rolling. Junior Caminero singled, Josh Lowe doubled, and Jake Mangum slapped a single that scored both to make it 4-0.

With one out, newly-acquired catcher Hunter Feduccia doubled, sending Mangum to third. The Rays then returned to the small-ball style that served them well during their hot streak, as Taylor Walls dropped a bunt that scored Mangum.

Chandler Simpson, playing for the first time since spraining his left index finger Thursday, doubled in Feduccia. Diaz’s fielder’s-choice grounder scored Walls to make it 7-0.

The seven-run inning matched the Rays’ second most productive of the season, as they also scored seven in the fifth inning on May 25 against Toronto, and nine in the third inning on April 14 against Boston. It was the Rays’ biggest inning on the road since Oct. 1, 2023, at Toronto.

The seven runs were the most the Rays scored in a game since July 23, and in a win since July 18.

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot had retired the first 12 Angels, but that streak ended in the fifth.

After Taylor Ward reached on an error, Pepiot allowed a two-run homer to Jo Adell, then allowed the next three Angels to reach. But he was saved from further damage by third-base coach Bo Porter’s bad decision to send home catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who was thrown out by Brandon Lowe.

Pepiot got into more trouble and was knocked out of the game in the sixth, giving up a run on a two-out single by Mike Trout, a walk to Ward and a fly ball by Adell that dropped into shallow right for a double. Thursday trade acquisition Griffin Jax threw one pitch to get O’Hoppe to ground out.

Bryan Baker, an early July trade acquisition, worked the seventh. Edwin Uceta, back to his 2024 form after an inconsistent first half, zipped through the eighth. Pete Fairbanks handled the ninth.

Brandon Lowe became the fourth player to have four or more 20-homers seasons for the Rays, joining Evan Longoria (nine), Aubrey Huff (four) and Carlos Pena (four).

Lowe also became the fifth active primary second baseman (50% of games at second) to do so, joining Houston’s Jose Altuve (six), Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies (four), Arizona’s Ketel Marte (four) and Texas’ Marcus Semien (four).

Mangum honored

Outfielder Jake Mangum on Tuesday was named the Rays’ winner of the Heart & Hustle award, presented by the MLB Players Alumni Association to players who “exemplify a true passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game.” A majors-wide winner will be named in November.