Jo Adell blasted two home runs in the fifth inning, joining a rare club in Angels history, while Mike Trout and Taylor Ward each homered twice in a dominant 11-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.
Adell started the explosive eight-run fifth inning with a solo shot off Rays starter Zack Littell (0-3), then capped it with a three-run homer off reliever Mason Englert. He became just the third Angel ever to homer twice in the same inning, matching a feat by Rick Reichardt in 1966 and Kendrys Morales in 2012. Adell finished with four RBIs, tying a career high.
Ward launched a leadoff homer on the second pitch of the game, while Nolan Schanuel followed with an RBI double in the second to give the Angels an early cushion.
Tampa Bay’s only run came in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Jonathan Aranda, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
From there, the Angels’ offense exploded.
Trout crushed a two-run homer in the fifth off Littell and later added a solo shot in the ninth off Hunter Bigge — his fifth of the season and 27th career multi-homer game. Trout also homered in the same 2012 game when Morales had his historic inning.
Ward added his second homer of the game during the same fifth-inning onslaught.
The Angels have now claimed four consecutive series wins, while the Rays fell to 5-4 at Steinbrenner Field, suffering their third loss in the opening stretch of a 13-game homestand. The crowd of 10,046 marked Tampa Bay’s ninth straight sellout.
Angels starter José Soriano (2-1) was solid, allowing just one run on five hits over 7 2/3 innings, walking three.
Littell gave up a career-worst four home runs, surrendering seven runs on eight hits in just over four innings.
Key Moment
Adell’s leadoff homer to start the fifth set the tone for the Angels’ biggest inning of the season.
Key Stat
Los Angeles hit four of its six home runs in the fifth inning — three off Littell.
Up Next
Angels: RHP Jack Kochanowicz takes the mound Friday in Houston against Astros RHP Ronel Blanco.
Rays: On Friday, RHP Taj Bradley opens a series against the Atlanta Braves.
