Rays 7, Angels 1
Desmond Jennings and Yunel Escobar homered while Matt Moore struck out six in his return from an elbow injury as visiting Tampa Bay halted its five-game losing streak.
Ben Zobrist drove in two runs while Escobar and James Loney scored twice for the Rays, who remained 5 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the American League East. Tampa Bay stands 2 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees for the second wild-card spot.
Moore (15-3) labored through 5 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits and four walks in his first start since July 28. The left-hander improved to 3-0 lifetime against the Angels while winning his seventh consecutive decision and Roberto Hernandez struck out seven in 3 2/3 perfect frames to notch his first career save.
Jennings snapped a 1-1 tie with a leadoff homer in the third inning and Zobrist increased the lead with a two-run double in the fourth. Jose Lobaton delivered an RBI single in the fifth, Escobar opened the sixth with his ninth blast and Wil Myers raced home on a wild pitch in the seventh to cap a stretch of six straight frames in which the Rays scored.
Erick Aybar doubled and scored the lone run for the Angels, who were limited to a total of four hits as their five-game winning streak came to an end. Jason Vargas (8-6) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in four innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tampa Bay is 1-4 on its 10-game road trip. ... Zobrist has recorded two RBIs in each of the first two contests of the four-game series. ... Los Angeles has lost only two of its last 11 games.