Angels 7, Tampa Bay 3
KEY MOMENT: Rays starter Alex Colome fooled Mike Trout badly in the third inning with an 0-and-1 breaking ball in the dirt that the Angels star couldn’t check his swing on. But instead of burying an 0-2 pitch in the dirt or going upstairs with a fastball, Colome hung a belt-high slider over the middle that Trout pounced on, driving it over the left-center field wall for a three-run home run — his 13th of the season — to give the Angels a 4-1 lead. It was the fourth time this season Trout has homered on an 0-2 count.
AT THE PLATE: Third baseman David Freese is batting .237 with a .288 on-base percentage, but he hit his ninth homer of the season in the second inning Monday night — he hit his ninth homer of 2014 on Sept. 15 — and he has 29 runs batted in, one behind team leader Trout. “He’s swinging the bat way better than his numbers,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. Johnny Giavotella had two hits, scored a run and dropped a sacrifice bunt. The second baseman has 12 hits in his last 28 at-bats in nine games.
ON THE MOUND: With two outs and no one on in the third inning, Angels starter Garrett Richards gave up a double to Kevin Kiermaier, an RBI single to Joey Butler and a single to Evan Longoria. With two outs in the fourth, Richards gave up a two-run homer to Nick Franklin. But Richards retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth and held on for the win.
ROSTER MOVES: The Angels returned to a traditional 12-man pitching staff Monday, calling up left-hander Edgar Ibarra from triple-A and sending outfielder Alfredo Marte to Salt Lake. To clear a 40-man roster spot for Ibarra, triple-A outfielder Gary Brown was designated for assignment. Ibarra, who is from the same hometown — Valencia, Venezuela — as catcher Carlos Perez, went 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 17 games at Salt Lake.
REHAB REPORT: Reliever Mike Morin, who suffered a left rib-cage strain on May 23, said he’s “progressing well” but is about a week away from picking up a ball and at least two or three weeks away from returning.
UP NEXT: Left-hander C.J. Wilson (3-3, 3.18 ERA) will oppose Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer (5-4, 2.12 ERA) at Angel Stadium at 7 p.m. TV: FS West; Radio: 830.