Díaz hits leadoff homer and Aranda delivers go-ahead single to lift Rays over Red Sox 3-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz hit a leadoff homer and drove in two runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Monday night.

Jonathan Aranda knocked in the tiebreaking run with a fifth-inning single for the AL East leaders, who had lost five of six.

Díaz put Tampa Bay on the board with his fourth leadoff homer this season, hitting the first pitch from Boston starter Connelly Early into the left-field seats. Díaz then drove in Taylor Walls on a sacrifice fly in the eighth, when Tampa Bay manufactured an insurance run without a hit.

Aranda’s two-out single scored Austin Slater from third to break a 1-all tie in the fifth, chasing Early (5-4). Slater, making his Tampa Bay debut, reached on an infield single before stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch.

Left-hander Ian Seymour, the Rays’ opener, retired his first five batters and didn’t allow a hit until the third, when Marcelo Mayer evened the score with a solo homer.

But after that, Seymour set down his final six batters. He pitched a season-high four innings, allowing one hit and a walk with five strikeouts. Tampa Bay’s bullpen shut out Boston over the final five innings, yielding just three hits. Casey Legumina (2-0) got the win and Bryan Baker earned his 17th save.

Aside from Mayer’s home run, only one Red Sox player reached third base. The Rays improved to 5-0 when using an opener, and 29-1 when leading after seven innings.

Tampa Bay catcher Nick Fortes successfully challenged two pitches to earn strikeouts for Rays relievers, including on Caleb Durbin in the seventh with the potential tying run in scoring position. Fortes also threw out Ceddanne Rafaela attempting to steal, ending the sixth.

Tampa Bay RHP Nick Martinez (5-2, 2.29 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Boston LHP Payton Tolle (3-2, 2.28).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer celebrates his solo home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour with Carlos Narváez (75) during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour delivers to the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela makes a sliding catch on a pop out by Tampa Bay Rays' Ryan Vilade during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker reacts after closing out the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz watches his run scoring sacrifice fly off Boston Red Sox's Alec Gamboa during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels first baseman Trey Mancini, a cancer survivor and former Baltimore slugger, played in his first major league game since 2023 on Monday night against the Houston Astros.

Mancini delivered a run-scoring single in the second inning in his first at-bat.

The Angels selected the contract of Mancini and put him in the lineup at first base against the Astros after placing infielders Vaughn Grissom (left oblique strain) and Adam Frazier (right elbow inflammation) on the 10-day injured list.

Mancini, 34, agreed to a minor league contract with the Angels in February, a deal that included an invitation to major league spring training. Mancini hit .273 with six homers, 29 RBIs and three steals for Salt Lake this year.

Mancini has batted .263 with 129 homers and 400 RBIs over parts of seven seasons in the majors. He played parts of six seasons with the Orioles and hit a career-high 29 homers in 2019.

Mancini then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. He made a successful return to the Orioles in 2021, and he won a World Series ring in 2022 after Baltimore traded him to Houston.

He spent part of the 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs. He has since played in the minor league systems of the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks.

Mancini opted out of a minor league deal with Arizona last July after batting .308 with 16 homers for Triple-A Reno.

Grissom’s move to the IL was retroactive to Friday. Frazier’s move was retroactive to Saturday.

The Angeles also recalled infielder Denzer Guzman from Triple-A Salt Lake and transferred infielder Yoán Moncada to the 60-day injured list.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Los Angeles Angels' Logan O'Hoppe, left, scores after a single by Vaughn Grissom and a throwing error by Sterlin Thompson as Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman misses the ball during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)