ANAHEIM — The Angels tried a new bullpen recipe.
Angels left-hander Mitch Farris, who had been a mop-up reliever for most of the season, recorded eight of the last nine outs and then Ryan Zeferjahn finished off the Angels’ 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Farris started the seventh with a two-run lead and he got within one out of finishing. He gave up a run, and then Zeferjahn entered with runners at the corners and Junior Caminero coming to the plate. Zeferjahn walked him, but then he struck out Cedric Mullins, recording the Angels’ first save since May 23. It was just their third since April 4.
“I don’t think anyone really cares about saves,” Zeferjahn said. “We’re all down there helping each other out and getting wins any way we can.”
The Angels have had such trouble getting the job done in the ninth inning that Jordan Romano, who was released in April, is still leading the team with four saves.
Since then, they tried right-hander Kirby Yates, but he had a few tough games in the past couple of weeks. The general assumption was that right-hander Sam Bachman, or maybe right-hander Chase Silseth, would be next on the list if Manager Kurt Suzuki looked for a new closer.
The Angels did not want to use Bachman on Friday night because he had pitched four of the previous seven days.
“He’s perfectly fine,” Suzuki said. “I’m sure he’s going to probably ask me why he didn’t pitch tonight.”
Without Bachman, the Angels still got the job done. Suzuki went with Silseth in the sixth, and then he surprised everyone by giving the ball to Farris in the seventh, with the top of the Rays’ order due.
Asked if Farris would be pitching in high leverage spots going forward, Suzuki said: “Tonight he was. We saw what our options were and just went with our gut and see where we’re at.”
Farris got through the Rays’ best hitters with no problem in the seventh, and then worked a scoreless eighth. Suzuki gave him a chance to finish, having him face the top of the order again. He walked Yandy Diaz and gave up a run-scoring single to Jonathan Aranda.
Farris said he appreciated the opportunity to pitch in a meaningful role.
“It’s a great spot to be in,” Farris said. “I mean, you work for that. I’m just grateful they gave me the opportunity for it. It didn’t necessarily end the way I wanted it to, but we got the win, so I’m happy with it.”
Zeferjahn entered and walked Caminero on four pitches, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Caminero being a pretty dangerous hitter, I’ve got an open base,” Zeferjahn said. “I do trust myself enough to get the next guy out, no matter what.”
Zeferjahn locked up the victory for left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who gave up one earned run in five innings.
It was a second positive outing in the two starts he’s made this season. He has a 2.12 ERA in five games, bolstering his case to stay in the rotation spot vacated by Jack Kochanowicz’s injury.
Both of Aldegheri’s starts followed a similar pattern.
On May 5 against the Chicago White Sox, he allowed the first four batters of the game to reach, including two walks. He ended up allowing two runs in the inning, and then nothing else through the fifth.
This time, Aldegheri loaded the bases in the first, with two walks, before escaping. After that, he retired all nine hitters over the next three innings.
“I just came (in the dugout) took a long breath, and just be went out and just be like, ‘OK, now attack the zone,’” Aldegheri said. “You’re already up 2-0. We got to throw strikes and attack these guys, because at the end of the day confidence is the most important thing for me. To be able to flip a switch and say, you better just do it. Just do what you know how to do.”
When he got into trouble in the fifth, it was because of sloppy defensive execution behind him. Zach Neto made his 13th error of the season, which is the most among all major-league shortstops. Neto helped to make amends by starting a double play to end the inning with just two runs on the board.
Aldegheri finished his night throwing 61% strikes, which was an achievement considering he threw 13 balls among his 22 pitches in the first inning.
Just after Aldegheri escaped the top of the first, the Angels began with a surprisingly good offensive night against Rays ace Shane McClanahan.
The Angels racked up eight hits against him against McClanahan and a total of 12, with every starter getting at least one.
Mike Trout and Jo Adell had singles in the first, and then Trey Mancini drove them in with a triple. Mancini is 4 for 12 with four RBIs in his first week back in the major leagues in nearly three years.
Logan O’Hoppe had one of the Angels’ three hits in the third, producing two more runs. O’Hoppe also doubled, giving him two straight multi-hit games. O’Hoppe has hit .310 with a .931 OPS over his last 30 plate appearances.