ANAHEIM -- Losing the first two games of the series didn't dampen the optimism in the Rays' clubhouse ahead of Sunday's finale. Instead, that resilient mindset translated directly to the field, culminating in a late offensive breakthrough to secure an 8-3 win over the Angels.
"We'll take a win however we can get it after the first two games here," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Really pleased top to bottom of the lineup. ... We were able to pile on with some big hits, which has been challenging over the last couple of days."
The definitive breakthrough came in the top of the eighth inning against Angels reliever Sam Bachman, who entered the game boasting a dominant 1.99 ERA. With Cedric Mullins aboard after a walk and a stolen base, Junior Caminero broke a 3-3 tie by launching a two-run home run to left field, his 15th of the season.
The blast marked a major turning point in the series for Caminero, who had struggled through a 1-for-11 stretch over the weekend before delivering the decisive blow off a Bachman slider.
"In that moment, I tried to level up in play," Caminero said. "I tried not [to do] too much, And, thank God I hit a home run. ... Today [was a] great day for the team, not [just] for me. Everybody’s putting [in] one hundred percent here."
Cash echoed that sentiment, noting how desperately the young infielder wanted to break out of his mini slump.
"He delivers a bunch, but I know he was starting to really want to come through for us," Cash said of Caminero. "The dugout got excited. It was a huge homer. ... Things haven't gone our way, and it felt like after that hit, it started to go our way."
Caminero's home run sparked the breakout that altered Bachman's season metrics, triggering a continuous two-out rally that included an RBI single from Hunter Feduccia and a two-run home run from Victor Mesa Jr. to cap a five-run frame, ballooning Bachman's ERA to 3.31.
Prior to that late breakout, the Rays' offense manufactured early pressure after being held scoreless the previous night. Chandler Simpson delivered the first spark in the third inning, dropping a two-run single into center field to score Mesa and Jonathan Aranda, who had reached on a single.
Ben Williamson added on in the fourth, hitting his first home run as a Ray with a solo shot to center field off Drew Pomeranz to spark an ecstatic dugout celebration.
"Probably a little bit of help from the wind, but I got a good pitch to hit and I was committed to it and luckily I snuck over the fence," Williamson said laughing.
On the mound, the Rays leaned on their planned pitching strategy to manage the Angels' right-handed-heavy lineup. Opener Casey Legumina handled the first 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one across 28 pitches. Left-hander Ian Seymour then assumed the bulk-innings role, providing stability through the middle frames. Seymour logged 3 1/3 innings, striking out three and navigating a high-leverage Angels threat in the fifth to preserve the tie before handing the ball to Kevin Kelly, who fired two scoreless innings of relief to keep the game locked until the offense broke loose.
The late cushion proved necessary in the bottom of the eighth. Reliever Craig Kimbrel struggled with his command, hitting a batter and issuing two walks to load the bases with one out. Garrett Cleavinger entered in relief, striking out pinch-hitters Trey Mancini and Oswald Peraza in succession to leave the bases stranded and preserve the five-run lead before turning things over to Bryan Baker to close out the ninth.
"[Kevin Kelly] came in, kind of quieted -- Anaheim really swung the bats well all series and [he] threw up some zeros," Cash said. "Cleve came in and got two huge strikeouts for us, and then handed it to Baker to finish it off."
The victory rewards the Rays, keeping them firmly in second place in the AL East as they prepare to head down the freeway to Los Angeles for a matchup against the NL West-leading Dodgers.
“[This win was] big," Mullins said of the momentum. "We’ve [been] going back and forth with getting some good runs going, getting some good stretches going, and then cutting ourselves short a little bit. So one step forward each day, [and we’ll] take it into L.A."