Angels Edge Rays in Thrilling 4-3 Finish Behind Jansen’s Milestone Save

The Los Angeles Angels nearly gave the game away on Tuesday night, but ultimately held on to secure a dramatic 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite a shaky seventh inning and defensive miscues, the Angels rallied late and leaned on closer Kenley Jansen, who locked down the victory with his 450th career save.

The Angels squandered a 2-0 lead in the seventh after a rough outing by Ben Joyce and a tough defensive moment from Mike Trout. But they bounced back thanks to clutch contributions in the final innings.

In the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Logan O’Hoppe singled with one out, advanced on a ground ball, and pinch-runner Kevin Newman scored the go-ahead run on Luis Rengifo’s bloop single.

Jansen then entered in the bottom half and navigated through a tense situation. The Rays had runners on the corners with no outs, and after a steal, the winning run stood in scoring position. Jansen induced a grounder to third, which Rengifo threw home for the out, and followed with back-to-back strikeouts to slam the door.

“That was the highlight of the night,” said manager Ron Washington. “I’ve seen Jansen do that before — even from the other dugout. When he’s out there, you just feel confident, even in the toughest spots.”

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud echoed that sentiment, calling the performance “phenomenal,” especially considering the high-pressure scenario. “First and third, no outs — and he shuts the door. That was incredible,” he said.

Jansen credited his experience, saying, “It’s about not giving in, staying calm, and keeping control. That’s what got me through.”

Earlier in the game, Kyren Paris launched a two-run homer, and the Angels got five solid innings from Kyle Hendricks, followed by a clean sixth from Ryan Zeferjahn, building a 2-0 cushion heading into the seventh.

However, Joyce—normally used in the eighth—was called on early due to the strength of the Rays’ upcoming hitters. The decision backfired. Joyce surrendered a homer, single, double, and triple in rapid succession, turning a two-run lead into a one-run deficit in just 14 pitches. His velocity was down noticeably, though Washington insisted Joyce was fine physically.

“He’s human,” Washington said. “He just didn’t have it tonight.”

The Angels escaped further damage that inning, thanks in part to a stellar diving stop by shortstop Tim Anderson, and tied the game in the eighth on a d’Arnaud groundout.

Trout had trouble with a fly ball in the lights in the bottom of the eighth, allowing José Caballero to reach third. Brock Burke pitched out of the jam with two strikeouts and a fly ball to the warning track, preserving the tie.

Then came the Angels’ go-ahead run in the ninth — and Jansen’s heroics.

“For a young bullpen to step up like that, especially without much experience besides Kenley, against a talented Rays team — that’s huge,” d’Arnaud said. “It’s the kind of momentum we can build on.”

Tuesday’s nail-biter echoed a win last week in St. Louis, where the Angels also blew late leads but ultimately pulled out an extra-inning win. Washington believes these close victories signal progress.

“We prepared all through ’24 for this season,” Washington said. “Sometimes you’ve got to take a few steps back to move forward — and now we’re seeing the payoff.”