Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto homer, but Rays rally late to top Angels
Osleivis Basabe hit a tiebreaking two-run double in a four-run eighth inning, and the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Rays beat the Angels 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases with one out against Aaron Loup (2-3) before Basabe lined his hit to center over the head of former Rays player Brett Phillips. René Pinto followed with a single that drove in two more runs.
“I was a little anxious going into that at-bat, especially after having a couple strikeouts earlier in the day,” Basabe said through an interpreter. “I knew I had hit it well. I didn’t realize he was playing so far in. Once I saw that he was running back, I was hoping it would score those runs.”
Basabe was called up from triple-A Durham last month when Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by Major League Baseball while authorities in the Dominican Republic investigate the Rays’ All-Star shortstop for an alleged relationship with a minor.
Randy Arozarena homered for the American League wild card-leading Rays, who started the day 2½ games behind first-place Baltimore in the AL East. The Orioles, who were playing the Houston Astros, hold the tiebreaker.
“We’re playing for the division,” Arozarena said through an interpreter. “The 10 games from here on out are very important for us in order to win that division.”
Logan O’Hoppe and Zach Neto homered for the Angels, who have lost six in a row. Randal Grichuk departed with two outs in the ninth after being hit by a high pitch by Shawn Armstrong.
Angels manager Phil Nevin said the pitch got Grichuk “pretty square” on the helmet extension that protects the face.
“He seems to checking out fine,” Nevin said.
Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a successful procedure on his elbow, his agent Nez Balelo announced on Tuesday. He is expected to play next season and pitch in 2025.
Tampa Bay needed just five pitches to take a 2-0 lead in the first when Yandy Díaz had a leadoff double and Arozarena followed with his 23rd homer off Patrick Sandoval.
Díaz had three hits to lift his batting average from from .319 to .323.
O’Hoppe made it 2-1 on a fourth-inning homer off rookie Taj Bradley. Neto tied it at 2 against Robert Stephenson (3-4) in the eighth.
Sandoval gave up two runs and five hits in five innings.
“After the first three hitters, I thought he threw the ball very well,” Nevin said. “It’s just the pitch count [of 100] got high. No reason to push him any further.”
Bradley gave up one run and three hits over five innings and had his winless streak reach 10 starts, dating to June 27.
Nolan Schanuel walked in the third to reach base in 23 straight games to start his career. It ties the St. Louis Cardinals’ Luis Alicea for the fifth-longest run since 1961.
It was announced before the game that Angels star Shohei Ohtani had elbow surgery Tuesday, and his doctor said he expects the two-way star will be available as a hitter on opening day next season and will return to the mound as a pitcher in 2025.
Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow Aug. 23, ending his pitching season. He continued as a batter through Sept. 3 until an oblique strain.
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