[Art Deco]

All three games saw the Rays' starter get into trouble with the homerun ball early but all three saw the Rays prevail in the end as they swept the Angels and picked up where they left off in last year's ALCS.

In the opener the Angels found the seats three times against Tarik Skubal and led the Rays 4-2 after 4. But Tampa Bay fought back and a 3-run 8th saw them take a 6-4 win. Skubal finished 5.2 5 4 4 2 11, getting his whiffs, while Justin Dunn got the win with 2 1/3 scoreless in relief after Wander Franco tied it with a double and Austin Meadows doubled in two more to set it up for Nick Anderson to pick up save #3. Hunter Bishop earlier had a 2-run homer, his 3rd.

Joe Ryan pitched the middle game, and he too gave up a couple of homers to allow LA to take a 3-1 lead in the 4th. But again the Rays fought back, starting with Lewin Diaz's 1st homer of the year in the bottom of the 4th to tie it, and yesterday's heroes came through again as Austin Meadows had an RBI triple to re-tie it and Wander Franco broke the deadlock with a 2-run double in the 7th, followed by a Brandon Lowe 2-run double to make the final 8-4 Rays. Pete Fairbanks picked up the win with 2 innings of 4-whiff ball.

The finale didn't require much of a comeback as a first-inning Mike Trout blast off former teammate Griffin Canning was all the Angels would get off him while the Rays built a 7-1 lead and held on to triumph 7-4. Canning had his best start of the year, going 5.2 6 1 1 2 7 for his first win of 2024. Vidal Brujan's RBI triple put them ahead to stay in the 2nd, Austin Meadows hit another RBI triple, Jarren Duran had an RBI single and solo homer (#4) and Wander Franco delivered a 2-run single.

Team record: 9-6, two games back of Baltimore which just happens to be next up on the schedule with 3 at Camden Yards.