TAMPA, Fla. — When the Angels took early batting practice at George Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday, Manager Ron Washington had a feeling what might happen in this series.
“Everything they were hitting was leaving,” he said.
It was a sign of things to come.
With the weather getting warmer each of the three days here, the Angels kept knocking balls over the fence, highlighted by a six-homer outburst in an 11-1 victory over the Rays on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s amazing, pretty special,” said Taylor Ward, who hit two of the homers. “We’ve got a great group of hitters here. I think it’s something we can do a few times this year.”
The barrage helped the Angels (8-4) win their fourth straight series to start the season, something they hadn’t done since 2018.
Jo Adell, Mike Trout and Ward hit two homers apiece, with Adell becoming the first Angels player since Kendrys Morales in 2012 to hit two homers in an inning.
Adell hit the first and last homers in the Angels’ four-homer fifth inning. That matched a franchise record, last achieved at Denver’s Coors Field in 2023.
“Just the way we passed the baton in that inning,” Adell said. “Guys were grinding through their at-bats, were aggressive on their pitch. Before you knew it, I was up to bat again and feeling good.”
It was the third time in franchise history the Angels had three players with multi-homer games, most recently when Troy Glaus, Tim Salmon and Mo Vaughn did it in 2000.
Trout hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the season. Trout’s first homer, which was hit down the right-field line, was the only one that was a true product of the cozy dimensions at Steinbrenner Field. The Rays are playing this season in a minor-league park because of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.
“It’s really nice,” Trout said of the short porch. “I love it.”
The Angels hit 11 homers in the series, including four solo homers in a loss on Wednesday. They could have had one more Thursday, but Nolan Schanuel was robbed of a homer by leaping right fielder Jake Mangum.
For Ward and Adell, the homers helped them change direction after getting out of the gate slowly.
Ward was hitting .190 without a homer in the first 10 games, but hit his first homer of the season Wednesday night. He then added another to lead off the game Thursday, and then one in the middle of the four-homer fifth.
Ward said he’s been focused on the same mechanical things since he started swinging the bat in November. He calls it a constant game of “teeter totter” trying to get his swing just right. For now, he’s there.
“It’s nice,” Ward said. “It’s the biggest relief. Just what we’re wanting to do every at-bat is have success, have a good at-bat. It’s great to see my work paying off.”
Adell was hitting .185 without a homer prior to Thursday’s game. He said he’s “committed” to keeping the swing change he made last July, when he scrapped his leg kick in favor of a small step. Even though it wasn’t working, he’s been improving.
“I’ve developed better timing,” Adell said. “Start to see the ball, get close to what I wanted to do. Today is one of those days that reminds you that you know you’re on track. Just gonna continue with that. Keep making that work.”
Washington said both Ward and Adell benefitted from being more aggressive at the plate.
“Today they jumped on some pitches when they were in the strike zone,” Washington said. “They had been tentative, trying to see pitches. But today, when they saw the pitches they wanted, they really jumped on them.”
Considering the way the ball was flying over the fence Thursday, the Angels had the right pitcher on the mound: ground-ball specialist José Soriano.
Soriano gave up one run in 7⅔ innings, throwing 93 pitches. Soriano is the only pitcher this season to work at least seven innings for the Angels, and he’s now done it twice. He improved his ERA to 2.70 through his first three starts.
Soriano induced 13 ground balls, compared to only two outs in the air. Three of those grounders were converted to double plays. Between Soriano and right-hander Ryan Johnson, who got the final four outs, the Angels recorded 20 of their 27 outs on the ground.
It was the perfect recipe for a victory, and another series win.
“I hope we can continue to stack up series wins, because that’s what gets you to the playoffs,” Washington said. “And our goal is to hopefully continue to play good baseball, and when that time comes, hopefully we’re there. You have to do it by winning series.”