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Rays hit into triple play before downing Angels in 10
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Raley had the tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning Friday night for the Tampa Bay Rays, who overcame hitting into a ninth-inning triple play to beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-6 in the opener of a condensed three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.

The teams played hours after Major League Baseball announced the final two games of the series would be played as part of a split doubleheader Saturday due to the path of Hurricane Hilary. The storm is expected to make landfall on Sunday in Southern California.

The Rays, who trailed 5-1 following Shohei Ohtani's second-inning grand slam, later squandered a seventh-inning lead before hitting into an unusual triple play in the ninth.

Angels closer Carlos Estevez (5-4) gave up singles to Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena before getting Harold Ramirez to hit a hard grounder to short. Luis Rengifo looked Diaz back at third base before beginning a 6-4-3 double play.

Diaz dashed for home as the double play was being turned, but Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel -- a 2023 first-round pick making his major league debut -- fired home to fellow rookie Logan O'Hoppe, who tagged the sliding Diaz on the shoulder before he could touch home plate.

Rengifo worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning and pinch runner Andrew Velasquez immediately stole second, but the Angels couldn't score the winning run. With two on, Ohtani struck out and Brandon Drury grounded out.

The Rays wasted little time going ahead in the 10th. Estevez plunked the first batter, Isaac Paredes, before Jose Siri -- running for automatic runner Ramirez -- scored on Raley's single.

Josh Lowe and Rene Pinto each added a two-out RBI single.

Pete Fairbanks (1-4) earned the win after wriggling out of trouble in the ninth. Andrew Kittredge, making his season debut after recovering from Tommy John surgery, notched the save with a perfect 10th.

Lowe also had a two-RBI double in the fourth to begin the Rays' comeback. Pinto had a run-scoring single later in the fourth. Ramirez had the game-tying double in the sixth and the go-ahead single in the seventh.

Paredes opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first.

Mike Moustakas (first inning) and Brandon Drury (seventh inning) had game-tying RBI doubles for the Angels.

Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez gave up five runs on five hits and one walk while whiffing three over 3 1/3 innings. Angels starter Tyler Anderson allowed five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over four-plus innings.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

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