Angels 7, Rays 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols hit two home runs, and Mike Trout and David Freese also went deep, lifting the Angels to their fifth win in a row, a 7-3 decision over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Angel Stadium.
The winning streak is the longest of the season for the Angels, who are a season-best four games over .500 at 28-24. The four homers continued the team's recent power surge: Los Angeles has 13 home runs in its past five games.
Pujols is leading the way, with five homers in those five games, increasing his season total to 13. The first baseman is tied with center fielder Trout for the team lead.
Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards (5-3) was not as his best, but he was good enough. He gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in six-plus innings, striking out four.
Rays starter Alex Colome (3-2) gave up five runs on nine hits and three walks in six innings. Tampa Bay second baseman Nick Franklin hit a two-run home run in defeat.
Richards not only got support from the offense, but also from his bullpen. He came out of the game after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh. Jose Alvarez came in and got a double-play ball on the only batter he faced, and Fernando Salas retired the only batter he faced to end the seventh.
Joe Smith pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Cam Bedrosian pitched the ninth to finish the game in a non-save situation.
Freese drove in the first run of the game with a solo homer leading off the second inning, his ninth of the season. The third baseman didn't hit his ninth homer of the season last year until Sept. 15.
The Rays tied the game against Richards in the top of the third on designated hitter Joey Butler's RBI single, but Trout untied it in the bottom of the inning.
Down in the count 0-2, Trout lined an 88 mph Colome slider over the fence in left-center for a three-run homer and 4-1 Angels lead.
The Rays got two back in the fourth when Franklin hit a two-run homer, snapping his 0-for-25 slide. It also was his first hit of the season from the left side, after going 0-for-19, and it pulled Tampa Bay within 4-3.
The Angels increased their lead in the fifth inning to 5-3 on a solo homer by Pujols.
NOTES: The Angels called up LHP Edgar Ibarra from Triple-A Salt Lake. To make room on the roster, Los Angeles optioned OF Alfredo Marte to Salt Lake. Marte went 1-for-4 in four games for the Angels. ... The Rays called up RHP Andrew Bellatti from Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay had a vacant roster spot after INF Tim Beckham (strained right hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. ... Los Angeles' Albert Pujols was back at first base after starting the previous two games at DH while he nursed a sore groin. ... Rays RF Steven Souza Jr. has 10 homers this season, making him the seventh American League rookie in the past 25 years to have a double-digit homer total entering June. The Chicago White Sox's Jose Abreu (15) and Houston Astros' George Springer (10) did it last season.