Rays seek to alter recent road narrative in rematch vs. Angels

The Tampa Bay Rays' road woes continued Monday night when they started a two-week, 12-game trip up and down the West Coast with a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.

It was the 11th loss in the last 12 road games for the Rays.

Ryan Pepiot (6-9, 3.80 ERA), who is in the midst of a personal slump, will try to lead Tampa Bay on Tuesday night when he opposes fellow right-hander Jose Soriano (7-8, 3.65) in the middle contest of a three-game series.

Pepiot is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Angels. He comes in off a 7-4 road loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday in a game that saw him allow a season-high seven runs on six hits, including a three-run homer to Ben Rice and a two-run shot to Giancarlo Stanton, in four innings.

It marked his fifth straight start that the Rays lost dating to a 6-5 win over the Athletics on July 2.

Soriano is 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) against Tampa Bay. That win came on April 10 after he allowed one run on five hits in 7 2/3 innings while striking out four.

The Angels, behind a two-run homer from Jo Adell and a solid start by Yusei Kikuchi, leapfrogged Tampa Bay in the American League wild-card standings with Monday's win. Los Angeles now trails both the Yankees and Seattle by five games for the league's final two wild-card spots.

Taylor Ward went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Bryce Teodosio also had three hits, stole a base and scored a run Monday for the Angels, who won their second straight game. The victory was rather ho-hum after the Angels rallied from a five-run deficit to post an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday on Ward's three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth.

"You try not to get too high or too low," Los Angeles interim manager Ray Montgomery said. "It's good to get off to a good start in this (series). It's boring, but I like to be boring good."

Tampa Bay jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning Monday after Yandy Diaz led off with a double into the right field corner, advanced to third on a single by Ha-Seong Kim, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Junior Caminero. But Kikuchi allowed just two more hits over the next 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven.

"The first inning could have gotten away from us there," Montgomery said. "To come away giving up one is pretty impressive."

Adrian Houser, making his first start for Tampa Bay since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago White Sox last week, allowed season highs in runs (five) and hits (11) before departing after 5 2/3 innings.

"It's been a unique couple days for him, no doubt," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Fly out to the West Coast to make a start with a bunch of new faces that you don't know. But I thought he competed really well."

Said Houser: "Obviously, I wanted to go out there and pound the strike zone but wasn't able to do that. Was falling behind and wasn't able to execute pitches when I needed to to help myself out. That's ultimately what got me in trouble tonight."

--Field Level Media