The Los Angeles Angels unleashed a relentless offensive display at Steinbrenner Field on Thursday afternoon, recording six home runs, including two each from Jo Adell, Mike Trout, and Taylor Ward, in an 11-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Adell became only the third player in Angels history to homer twice in the same inning, powering an eight-run fifth that broke the game open.
Adell began the fifth inning with a solo home run off Rays starter Zack Littell, giving the Angels a 3-1 lead. By the time the inning concluded, he had added a three-run blast off reliever Mason Englert, matching a career high with four RBIs. The performance placed him in exclusive company, alongside Rick Reichardt, who accomplished the feat in 1966, and Kendrys Morales, who did so in 2012.
The Angels, who have won four consecutive series, built momentum from the outset. Taylor Ward opened the scoring with a home run on the game’s second pitch, and Nolan Schanuel added an RBI double in the second inning. Tampa Bay momentarily trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on an RBI single by Jonathan Aranda, but the brief threat quickly dissipated.
Los Angeles erupted in the fifth, with four of their six home runs coming. Trout launched a two-run homer off Littell, Ward followed with a two-run shot of his own, and Adell closed the inning with his second homer, making it an 8-1 contest. Trout added a solo home run in the ninth off Hunter Bigge, marking the 27th multi-homer game of his career. Notably, Trout also homered in the 2012 game when Morales hit two in one inning.
José Soriano (2-1) delivered a strong outing on the mound for the Angels, allowing one run on five hits and three walks across seven and two-thirds innings. He kept the Rays’ offense off balance and was backed by a high-powered lineup with 13 hits.
Littell (0-3) endured a difficult outing for the Rays, surrendering seven runs on eight hits, including a career-high four home runs, over four-plus innings. Englert followed and gave up Adell’s second homer to close the decisive fifth.
The Angels’ dominance was reflected in the crowd of 10,046, marking the ninth consecutive sellout for the Rays at their spring home. Despite the attendance milestone, Tampa Bay dropped to 5-4 at Steinbrenner Field and continues a 13-game homestand with questions surrounding its pitching consistency.
The betting line had the Rays as slight home favorites at -120, with the Angels listed at +100. The fifth inning surpassed the game’s total of 9.5 runs.
Looking ahead, the Angels will travel to Houston, where right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (1-0, 3.27 ERA) is scheduled to face Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco (0-1, 9.45 ERA) on Friday. The Rays will begin a new series against Atlanta, sending Taj Bradley (1-0, 4.91 ERA) to the mound for the opener.