The game belonged to the seventh inning. Tampa Bay trailed 2-1 entering the frame, then scored six times to seize control and defeat the Los Angeles Angels 8-5 at Tropicana Field.
Nick Martinez earned the victory with seven innings of work, allowing 2 runs on eight hits while striking out five. The right-hander carried a 1.62 ERA and improved to 5-1 on the season. Martinez reached 1,000 career innings pitched in this game, crossing the milestone during his dominant outing.
The seventh inning began with Yandy Diaz's two-run homer to left center, scoring Cedric Mullins and giving Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead. Jonathan Aranda followed with a solo shot to right center, extending the advantage to 4-2. Oliver Dunn's bunt single brought home Junior Caminero for the fifth run, then Richie Palacios tripled to right, scoring both Chandler Simpson and Dunn. Nick Fortes capped the rally with a sacrifice bunt that scored Palacios.
Walbert Urena pitched effectively for Los Angeles through six innings, allowing just one run on five hits with five strikeouts. Ryan Zeferjahn absorbed the loss after surrendering four runs in one-third of an inning during the seventh-inning breakdown. His ERA stands at 5.96.
Diaz finished 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI, reaching 500 career runs scored. The Angels managed three late runs in the eighth but could not overcome the deficit. Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 34-19. Los Angeles fell to 22-35.