Home run barrage lifts Angels to fourth consecutive series win

TAMPA, Fla. -- With a thundering 11-1 route of the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels slugged their way to a series victory and kept a strong start to the season moving in full force. Now 8-4, it's the first time since 2018 that the Angels have eight wins through their first 12 games. 

The rubber match was all about the longball for the Halos as they bashed six different home runs, with four of them coming as part of an eight-run fifth inning. Jo Adell, one of three Angels to have multiple homers in the game, hit both of his in the frame for his first two blasts of the season.

Taylor Ward and Mike Trout were the others to collect a pair of homers each as the duo, along with Adell, combined to put up 10 of the squad's 11 runs. Ward has now homered in back-to-back games, while Trout got even with Kyren Paris and Logan O'Hoppe for the team lead with five.

Trout, O'Hoppe and Paris are three of just six players in baseball this season so far to have had a 3+ game home run streak. Los Angeles has 24 home runs in 2025, ranking third behind just the Yankees and Dodgers.

While the bats were the main story, Jose Soriano threw his second gem of the season as he stymied the Rays with 7 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. He allowed five hits and struck out four while walking three. Now 2-1, the 26-year-old used the dominant road performance to lower his ERA to 2.70.

Ryan Johnson finished off the game for Los Angeles with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work as he allowed one hit. He has now made three consecutive appearances without an earned run allowed.

The victory came as a nice bounce back after a 5-4 loss on Wednesday evening in which another wave of home runs was not enough to get over the hill. Despite four separate solo shots, including two from the red-hot Kyren Paris, the Angels put themselves in too deep of an early deficit to overcome. 

The 23-year-old is the first player in American League history with five or more home runs and four or more stolen bases in his first 10 games played of a season. He also has the highest OPS through 10 games for a player age 23 or younger since Jimmie Fox in 1928 for the Philadelphia A's.

Yusei Kikuchi allowed a first-inning grand slam to Jose Caballero that gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 edge early, while Yandy Diaz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh off of Reid Detmers that gave them a 5-3 advantage. Both of the homers would not have left the yard in any other stadium.

Kikuchi ended up dealing six innings in the game as he allowed just the four runs from Caballero's slam and struck out five. He took the loss, falling to 0-2 as his era stands at an even 5.00. Detmers went the rest of the way out of the pen, working the final two frames and allowing just one hit, which happened to be Diaz's solo shot.

In the series opener, the Angels managed to produce with both power and regular hitting as they squeaked out a 4-3 win thanks to some clutch late-game hitting. Luis Rengifo came through with a two-out, go-ahead single in the top of the ninth off Tampa Bay right-hander Pete Fairbanks to collect an RBI for the third consecutive game.

Kyren Paris got things going earlier in the game with a two-run bomb in the second inning that was ultimately upheld following a review for potential fan interference. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud later evened the game at three in the eighth on an RBI groundout after the Rays had scored three in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead.

It was Kyle Hendricks who got the start, working five shutout innings and allowing just two hits as he struck out four. The 35-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in 11 innings this season for an ERA of 1.64, but is yet to earn a decision.

He was backed up nicely by Garrett McDaniels, Brock Burke and Kenley Jansen across the final 2 2/3 innings as Los Angeles held strong to give the lineup enough time to pull through. 

Now 8-4 following the series victory, the Angels are just half a game behind the Rangers for first place in the AL West. They will head to Houston for a three-game set with the Astros starting on Friday as the second stop of a nine-game road trip. With 15 of their first 18 games this year scheduled on the road, Los Angeles ties the MLB record (last done by the 1957 Cubs) for the most road games within the first 18 games of a season.

Jack Kochanowicz (1-0, 3.27 ERA) will get the start in the opener against Houston on Friday against right-hander Ronel Blanco (0-1, 9.45 ERA). The Astros are 5-7 and have lost three of their last five.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. PT.

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The Angels selected the contract of infielder J.D. Davis and placed infielder Yoan Moncada on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb sprain. Left-hander Jack Dashwood was designated for assignment.

Davis hit .297 in 10 games with the Salt Lake Bees this season, including two home runs and 11 RBI. He blasted a grand slam on Tuesday night in the Bees' first-ever game at their new ballpark.