Rays 3, Angels 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Brad Miller hit a two-run home run and Curt Casali added a solo drive to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in front of 41,086 at Angel Stadium.
Right-hander Matt Andriese (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Durham, won his season debut. Andriese retired 13 of 15 batters between the first and fifth innings, permitting just two walks during that span.
In seven innings, Andriese induced three double plays among his 12 groundouts, scattered four hits, conceded just one run and three walks and finished with three strikeouts. Right-hander Alex Colome pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout for his second consecutive save and his ninth of the season.
The Rays not only earned their fourth successive win but swept the Angels on the road for the first time since 2012. The hosts suffered their fifth loss in six games.
Los Angeles shortstop Andrelton Simmons left in the top of the third inning after spraining his left thumb while fielding a ground ball. Simmons will receive an MRI on Monday, a team spokesman announced.
Right-hander Nick Tropeano (1-2) amassed 10 strikeouts, one less than his career high, in 5 1/3 innings. But Tropeano received his second consecutive loss after allowing three runs, seven hits and two walks.
Miller's his fourth home run of the season in the top of the third put Tampa Bay ahead, 2-1. One out after Casali hit a double to left field, Miller lined Tropeano's first pitch, a 79 mph slider, into the third row of the right-field stands for a two-run drive.
Simmons sprained his right thumb while fielding a ground ball from the next batter, Evan Longoria. Simmons dived to field Longoria's grounder on the outfield grass, then threw underhanded while on his knees. Longoria easily beat the throw for a single.
After being examined briefly on the field, Simmons left the game. Cliff Pennington moved from second base to replace Simmons, with Johnny Giavotella taking over at second.
Casali hit his fourth home run, a solo drive, into the Rays' bullpen in left field in the fifth.
Los Angeles used Albert Pujols' sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against right-hander Matt Andriese, making his season debut after being recalled from Triple-A Durham.
With one out, Kole Calhoun hit a sharp ground ball off the glove of diving first baseman Steve Pearce for a single. Calhoun took third base on Mike Trout's single up the middle, then scored when Pujols hit a fly ball that sent left fielder Corey Dickerson to the wall.
But after Trout's single, Andriese retired 13 of the next 15 batters he faced, conceding just two walks. The Angels would not get another hit until Yunel Escobar singled in the sixth.
The Angels brought the potential lead run to the plate with nobody out in the sixth inning. Escobar hit a lead-off single and Calhoun followed with a walk. But Andriese struck out Trout on a low 86 mph sinker and made Pujols hit into a double play.
NOTES: Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of Angels manager Mike Scioscia's 1,000th victory at the club's helm. ... Tampa Bay began the game with the American League's worst batting average, .228. ... Rays RHP Erasmo Ramirez, who received his sixth win Saturday night, owns the team record for most victories through 28 games. ... The mother of Rays RHP Matt Andriese, Lynn, watched him pitch in the major leagues for the first time. ... Los Angeles' bullpen compiled the major league's best earned-run average (1.69) since April 20, and held opposing batters to a .202 average entering Sunday's game. ... Angels RHP Nick Tropeano is making his first career start against a team from the American League East. ... Angels RHP Huston Street, currently on the disabled list, needs one save to tie Jose Mesa for 17th place all-time with 321.