José Caballero hit his first career grand slam in the opening inning, providing the decisive blow in a six-homer contest that saw the Tampa Bay Rays edge the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 on Wednesday night. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Rays, temporarily hosting games at George Steinbrenner Field due to repairs at Tropicana Field.
Caballero’s home run came in his 688th career at-bat and gave Tampa Bay an early 4-0 lead. The shot barely cleared the short porch in right field, traveling 327 feet down a line that measures just 315 feet from home plate. It was the third-year infielder’s first homer of the season and provided a much-needed jolt to a Rays lineup looking to rebound after recent struggles.
The Angels quickly began chipping away at the deficit, hitting three solo home runs in the second, fourth, and fifth innings. Jorge Soler, Taylor Ward, and Kyren Paris went deep to reduce Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-3. In the eighth inning, Paris later hit his second homer of the night, also a solo shot, to bring the Angels within one run again. It was the rookie’s fourth and fifth home runs of the season.
Yandy Díaz added a critical insurance run for the Rays in the seventh inning with a solo home run, his first of the season, which, like Caballero’s, barely cleared the right-field wall. All six home runs in the game were hit to right field, taking advantage of the compact dimensions of the temporary venue.
Tampa Bay starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot (1-1) earned the win after allowing three solo home runs over five innings. He struck out five and issued one walk. Pete Fairbanks secured his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning, though not without some tension. After retiring the first two batters, Fairbanks walked Nolan Schanuel before inducing a foul pop-up from Mike Trout to end the game.
Yusei Kikuchi (0-2) took the loss for Los Angeles despite a solid six-inning performance. He surrendered four runs on seven hits while striking out six. The Angels out-hit the Rays 9-8 but could not capitalize on several scoring opportunities outside their solo home runs.
Los Angeles third baseman Yoán Moncada exited the game due to right thumb soreness. The extent of the injury was not immediately disclosed.
From a wagering perspective, the Rays entered the game as slight favorites at -115 on the moneyline, with the Angels at -105. The game’s total closed at 8.5 runs, which was surpassed by the sixth inning thanks to a flurry of home runs.
The two teams will conclude their series Thursday afternoon. The scheduled starters are right-hander José Soriano (1-1, 3.65 ERA) for the Angels and right-hander Zack Littell (0-2, 4.15 ERA) for the Rays.
