TAMPA — So much for any momentum the Rays gained Wednesday when they scored first and won a game for the first time in a week.
Because Thursday, they went out and sustained their worst loss of the season, blasted by the Angels 11-1.
The Angels hit six home runs — including two in the fifth inning by outfielder Jo Adell — in putting the game well out of reach.
Zack Littell took the brunt of the beating for the Rays, allowing seven runs on eight hits, four of them homers, as he dropped to 0-3 with a 6.88 ERA on the season.
The game, which was 2-1 for Los Angeles through four innings, changed rapidly in the fifth.
Littell faced five batters, and all scored in a sequence that went like this:
Adell homer, Tim Anderson single, Taylor Ward two-run homer, Luis Rengifo single, Mike Trout two-run homer.
Mason Englert replaced Littell and made it worse, allowing a three-run homer to Adell, who became the third Angel to go deep twice in an inning, joining Rick Reichardt (April 30, 1966) at Boston) and Kendrys Morales (July 30, 2012, at Texas).
Ward and Trout also hit two homers in the game, marking the 22nd time in modern MLB history a team had three players go deep twice.
When the Angels hit four homers and the Rays two — all to rightfield — on Wednesday, there was some discussion about the wind and cozy dimensions of Steinbrenner Field being a factor.
But if there was a jet stream Thursday, it must have only been blowing out when the Angels batted, and variable, as they hit three homers to rightfield, two to center and one to left.
The Rays got their run in the fourth inning, when Junior Caminero led off with a double and Jonathan Aranda followed with a single.
Stat of the day
4-0, 1-7
Rays record when scoring first, and when not.
Friday: vs. Braves
7:05, Steinbrenner Field
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun, Tampa Bay 44; 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Pitchers: Rays — RH Taj Bradley (0-1, 4.91); Braves — RH Bryce Elder (0-0, 6.75)
Info: raysbaseball.com
On deck
Saturday: vs. Braves, 4:10. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.90); Braves, RH AJ Smith-Shawver (0-2, 5.19)
Sunday: vs. Braves, 1:40. Rays, RH Shane Baz (1-0, 1.38); Braves, LH Chris Sale (0-1, 6.75)
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Monday: vs. Red Sox, 7:05. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (1-1, 3.38); Red Sox, TBA
Tuesday: vs. Red Sox, 7:05. Rays, RH Zack Littell (0-3, 6.88); Red Sox, TBA
Wednesday: vs, Red Sox, 7:05. Rays, RH Taj Bradley (1-0, 4.91); Red Sox, TBA
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