Rays lose 2nd straight to Angels, drop to 2nd place in AL East

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jun 14, 2026

Published in Baseball

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The Tampa Bay Rays have lost a lot over the last three weeks, most noticeably 12 of their last 18 games, as well as their standing as the majors’ best team and status as one of the most surprisingly successful.

Saturday’s 8-0 defeat by the Angels in Anaheim, California, cost them something else — their spot atop the American League East. The Rays took the division lead on May 8 (with the AL’s best record) and held it for the next 35 days — at least by percentage points — until losing Saturday, dropping to 40-27. The Yankees, who beat Toronto earlier, improved to 42-27 as they took over first.

Griffin Jax worked a strong five innings, allowing only an unearned run on a rare error by shortstop Taylor Walls.

Relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Craig Kimbrel, activated earlier Saturday, then made a mess that led to three more runs. Cole Sulser made it worse in the seventh, giving up four more, including a two-run homer to former Ray Jose Siri.

The Rays were shut out for the fourth time, third during their 18-game struggle. They will look to avoid a sweep in Sunday’s series finale before moving on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After Jo Adell got the Angels started in the fourth with a two-out double to center, Nolan Schanuel laced a 101.4 mph grounder that took a high hop just in front of Walls, who was positioned to make a backhand pickup and throw to first.

Instead, the ball bounced over his glove, struck his left forearm and caromed into the outfield, allowing Adell to score.

The Angels expanded their lead with three runs in the sixth after Jax left.

Cleavinger struck out Siri to start the inning, but then allowed a ground-ball single to Adell that just escaped the grasp of a diving Walls, followed by another to Schanuel.

Manager Kevin Cash next turned to Kimbrel, the 38-year-old signed in late May as a free agent. He had been designated for assignment by the New York Mets, for whom he had a 6.00 ERA over 14 games.

Kimbrel made one solid outing for the Rays on May 26 in Baltimore, then a few days later went on the injured list with a right wrist strain and was activated Saturday.

Kimbrel threw a wild pitch that allowed the runners to move up to second and third before striking out Oswald Peraza. But he allowed a bloop single to Denzer Guzman that dropped in shallow left-center and scored two.

Guzman promptly stole second, and Donovan Walton doubled to right to extend the lead to 4-0.

The Angels added four more in the the seventh. Sulser allowed a leadoff single to Zach Neto, then a one-out homer to Siri. It got worse, as he gave up a single to Adell and a walk to Schanuel, then two-out RBI singles to Guzman and Walton.

The Rays did very little offensively, held to five hits by Angels starter Jose Soriano and relievers Samy Natera Jr., Brent Suter and Kirby Yates.

The Rays got Yandy Diaz to third base in the first after he led off with a walk, extending his on-base streak to 26 games, the longest active in the majors and third longest of his career. He moved up on a pair of groundouts, but he got no further as Junior Caminero struck out for the first of three times.

They had a better chance in the fourth with two on and one out, but Richie Palacios struck out and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded out.

Jax was coming off a strong outing last Sunday in Miami, working five shutout innings. He allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out four and throwing only 62 pitches.

Saturday was his ninth start since the late April launch of his on-the-fly transition from reliever to starter. Over the first eight, he was 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA. It was a notable improvement from his work out of the bullpen, where had an 8.00 ERA over 11 appearances.

Notes

—The Rays were expected to clarify their Sunday pitching plans after Saturday’s game. Lefty Ian Seymour was lined up to work bulk innings, but it was not clear if he would start or follow an opener, or if the Rays had another plan.

—Kimbrel was sidelined three days after his May 26 Rays debut by a right wrist strain, but started feeling better after a few days of rest. He threw to hitters on Tuesday at Tropicana Field and was deemed ready enough to not need a minor-league rehab outing.

The Rays signed Kimbrel as a free agent after he was designated for assignment by the Mets with the expectation he can provide depth and experience to their bullpen, and he worked a scoreless inning on May 26 at Baltimore.

To make room on the active roster, the Rays optioned right-hander Mason Englert to Triple-A Durham. Englert worked four scoreless innings to finish Friday’s game against the Angels after working five, allowing one run, on June 3 following his latest call-up. He is expected to return to starting duty with Durham.