Major League Baseball
Tampa Bay 4, LA Angels 0
When: 1:10 PM ET, Thursday, May 25, 2017
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Temperature: Indoors
Umpires: Home - Andy Fletcher, 1B - Alan Porter, 2B - Joe West, 3B - Hunter Wendelstedt
Attendance: 9459

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Colby Rasmus believes it's hard enough in the major leagues to get run-scoring hits in key situations. So he wasn't about to let his two golden opportunities go to waste.

Rasmus drove in all four runs for the Tampa Bay Rays in a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Tampa Bay (25-25) won the final two games of the four-game series to climb back to .500. The Angels (25-25) will travel to Miami to face the Marlins and close out a 10-game trip.

Ramsus, batting out of the sixth spot, came up with the bases loaded and two out in the first inning and hit a single to center that scored Corey Dickerson and Evan Longoria.

Rasmus faced a similar bases-loaded, two-out situation in the bottom of the fifth inning and hit a ground-rule double to the gap in left-center field that again sent Dickerson and Longoria to the plate.

It was the second time Rasmus has had four RBIs this month, as he hit a grand slam against the Royals on May 10.

"You're just going to stay up on what you're doing," Rasmus said. "It's tough. My swings have been pretty good. They've not going to make mistakes to me, they know who I am. I've been around long enough. There's a good enough report on me -- where not to throw the ball.

"You've got to continue to try to learn and figure out what they're doing in those situations and try to beat them."

That was more than enough offense for Rays starter Matt Andriese, who pitched eight scoreless innings, to improve his record to 5-1. He gave up six hits and struck out five over 112 pitches.

"Andriese was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "There was one inning where he kind of battled for the feel of what he was trying to accomplish out there, but other than that he settled down and made pretty quick work with efficient innings."

Angels starter Daniel Wright (0-1) gave up four runs (two earned) in 4 1/3 innings and took the loss.

"The game is slowing down a little bit for me, which is always a good thing," Wright said. "I got in some pretty good counts, especially in the middle of the outing there. I had to scramble and hold them to two in the first, then kind of got into trouble in the fifth and they decided to take me out."

Andriese ran into trouble early when Mike Trout doubled with one out in the top of the first, but he was tagged out at home trying to score on a single from Andrelton Simmons.

"It was one of those games where I just battled through," Andriese said. "I didn't have great location on all my pitches, but early in the game I made some pitches when I needed to.

"(Steven) Souza Jr. bailed me out with a nice throw in the first inning. All day our defense made some great plays."

Los Angeles had runners in scoring position in the each of the first four innings but could not scratch across any runs. The Angels were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, with the one hit resulting in Trout's out at home.

"(Souza) was pinching shallow," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "And to get Mike, he's got to put that throw on the money and he did. It was a nice play -- nice throw from him."

GAME NOTES: Angels manager Mike Scioscia said 3B Yunel Escobar (hamstring) has begun a running program and will start running the bases in next few days. ... The Rays activated RHP Tommy Hunter from the 10-day disabled list before the game and placed RHP Jumbo Diaz on the disabled list because of arm fatigue. Hunter pitched the ninth inning on Thursday. ... Angels RHP Cam Bedrosian (groin) threw off a mound Wednesday and will begin throwing batting practice. ... Rays RHP Brad Boxberger (forearm) will throw batting practice Monday. ... Angels OF Cameron Maybin left the game in the fifth inning because of right knee soreness.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
LA Angels   Tampa Bay
Daniel Wright Player Matt Andriese
Loss W/L Win
4.1 IP 8.0
4 Strikeouts 5
6 Hits 6
4.15 ERA 0.00
Hitting
LA Angels   Tampa Bay
Andrelton Simmons Player Kevin Kiermaier
2 Hits 2
0 RBI 0
0 HR 0
2 TB 2
.500 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
LA Angels 6 0 9 .194 16 5 0 3 0 1
Tampa Bay 9 0 11 .281 22 6 4 3 1 0
?>