ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yandy Díaz hit two home runs, including back-to-back shots with Jonathan Aranda in a seven-run seventh inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Angels 8-5 on Friday night to end a four-game losing streak.
Bryan Baker walked Mike Trout on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases with two outs in the ninth before retiring Vaughn Grissom on an infield pop-up for his 15th save in 18 opportunities.
Nick Martinez (5-1) allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings to earn the win. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in all 11 starts this season.
Díaz hit his ninth home run on the second pitch from Walbert Ureña for a 1-0 lead. Díaz gave the Rays a 3-2 lead in the seventh with a two-run shot off Ryan Zeferjahn (2-3) after Cedric Mullins drew a leadoff walk.
Aranda followed with his 10th homer, but the Rays (35-19) were just getting started.
Junior Caminero singled and Zeferjahn left in favor of Brent Suter after a groundout. Chandler reached on an error at first by Grissom and Oliver Dunn made it 5-2 with an RBI bunt single.
Richie Palacios added a two-run triple before scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Fortes for an 8-2 lead.
Hunter Bigge walked Zach Neto and Trout to start the eighth and left without retiring a batter after Grissom doubled in a run to make it 8-3. Kevin Kelly entered and surrendered RBI groundouts to Jo Adell and Wade Meckler to cap the scoring.
Ureña allowed one run on five hits in six innings for the Angels (22-36). Zeferjahn and Suter were tagged for seven runs — five earned — in the final two innings.
The Rays’ Ben Williamson went one for two after missing eight games on the injured list with lower back issues before he was hit on the forearm by a pitch from Ureña in the sixth inning and forced to exit.
Up next: Angels LHP Reid Detmers (1-5, 4.57) starts Saturday opposite Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (4-1, 2.78).
