Justin Ruggiano hit his second home run of the season and drove in three runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-1 on Monday night. David Price controlled the game from the mound with seven-plus strong innings, striking out seven and allowing no walks.
Ruggiano filled in for B.J. Upton in the lineup, and he came into Monday’s game with only one hit (the aforementioned home run) in 15 at-bats on the season. But against Angels starter Tyler Chatwood he tripled his 2011 hit total, going 2-for-4. His single in the first inning scored Casey Kotchmann to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead. And in the sixth inning, Ruggiano connected for a two-run homer into the Angels bullpen in left field, extending the Rays’ lead to 4-0.
Price pitched an excellent game. He mixed his pitches and speeds all night, and threw 79 of his 114 pitches for strikes (helped by the Angels chasing quite a few pitches out of the zone). Only one Angel advanced past second base until the eighth inning, when Mark Trumbo’s leadoff double and Jeff Mathis’s single broke up Price's shutout and ended his evening. Cesar Ramos and Kyle Farnsworth each pitched an inning of hitless relief to finish the game.
Matt Joyce drove in the other two Tampa Bay runs, and Reid Brignac had three hits and scored a run.
Evan Longoria was a late scratch for the Rays. Sean Rodriguez started at third in his absence.