Angels survive a ninth-inning bases-loaded scare to beat Rays 4-3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Trey Mancini hit a two-run triple to give Los Angeles an early lead, rookie Sam Aldegheri tossed five strong innings and Ryan Zeferjahn struck out Cedric Mullins with the bases loaded in the ninth to help the Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night.

Zeferjahn walked Junior Caminero on four pitches after replacing Mitch Farris with two on and two outs. He struck out Mullins swinging on a 2-2 pitch for his second save, sealing the Angels' third straight win.

Aldegheri (2-1) allowed two runs — one earned — and three hits with three walks in his second start this season and seventh of his career.

Mike Trout and Jo Adell had back-to-back one-out singles off Shane McClanahan (6-4) in the first inning and Mancini followed with a two-out triple for a 2-0 lead.

Oswald Peraza led off the third with a double and Nick Madrigal drove him in with a two-out single, before stealing second and scoring on Logan O'Hoppe's single for a 4-0 advantage.

Aldegheri allowed a hit and walked two in the first inning, then retired 10 straight before walking Chandler Simpson to start the fifth. Nick Fortes reached on a fielding error by shortstop Zach Neto and Taylor Walls' bunt single loaded the bases with no outs.

Aldegheri struck out Yandy Díaz looking, but Jonathan Aranda singled to left to cut it to 4-2. Caminero hit into a double play to end the rally.

Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Mitch Farris before Zeferjahn finished.

McClanahan gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings, but struck out seven. Mason Englert pitched four shutout innings and allowed four hits and two walks.

U.S. Navy Captain and NASA Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Trout.

Rays RHP Griffin Jax (1-4, 4.15) starts Saturday opposite Angels RHP José Soriano (7-4, 2.96).

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

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) makes a catch at the wall against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) throws pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Sam Aldegheri (61) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)

Artemis II Astronaut Victor Glover throws out the first pitch before a a Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)

Los Angeles Angels' Trey Mancini starts to run after hitting a a two-run triple against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Busch hit a three-run homer into McCovey Cove beyond right field in the fifth inning to back Javier Assad's strong start on the mound, and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-1 on Friday night.

Busch's drive was the 176th splash hit at Oracle Park, 68th by an opponent and fourth by a Cubs player — first since Joc Pederson on June 3, 2021.

Seiya Suzuki broke up a scoreless game with an RBI double in the fourth then scored moments later on Nico Hoerner's sacrifice fly.

Assad (4-1) struck out five, walked one and allowed three hits over six innings to win his third straight decision spanning seven starts. His throwing error on a pickoff attempt of Bryce Eldridge in the fourth could have been costly but the right-hander stranded Eldridge on third.

Hoby Milner pitched the seventh and Trent Thornton the final two innings, surrendering Eldridge's one-out homer in the ninth.

Busch greeted reliever Erik Miller with his eighth home run after Chicago put runners aboard on Pete Crow-Armstrong's double and a leadoff walk by Carson Kelly against Giants starter Landen Roupp (5-7). Roupp was tagged for four runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Chicago won for the third time in its last seven games.

San Francisco had beaten the Cubs 18-3 last Friday then 2-1 in extra innings Sunday — but the Giants dropped to 7-3 overall in the matchups since the start of the 2025 season, outscoring the Cubs 63-35. San Francisco is 6-2 at Oracle Park in the series dating to the beginning of 2024.

Jung Hoo Lee went 0 for 3 and had his career-best 18-game hitting streak snapped — longest by a Giants batter since Angel Pagan hit in 19 in a row from July 31-Aug. 23, 2016.

RHP Ben Brown (2-2, 1.74 ERA) pitches the middle game for Chicago opposite Giants RHP Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.15), making his second straight start against the Cubs.

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

San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp throws to a Chicago Cubs batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong reacts after hitting a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) hits a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad throws to first base for an out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch catches a pop fly for the second out of the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)