The Angels’ Anthony Rendon slides into home plate past Tampa Bay Rays catcher René Pinto to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Angels held on to win, 5-4. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout, left, celebrates with teammate Logan O’Hoppe after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout hits a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels star Mike Trout runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout, left, celebrates with third base coach Eric Young Sr. after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, left, greets Mike Trout after Trout’s solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels star Mike Trout celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward steals second base in front of the Tampa Bay Rays’ Curtis Mead during the first inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel reacts after hitting a single during the second inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Amed Rosario crosses home plate to score a run during the second inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the fourth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Luis Rengifo watches his RBI double next to Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto during the sixth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto steps aside as the Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe scores during the sixth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell walks to the dugout after he was pulled during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels reliever Adam Cimber sets to pitch during the sixth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Umpire Ben May, left, watches as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena, right, beats the throw to Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo for a stolen base during the sixth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto, right, dives to tag second base before the Tampa Bay Rays’ Curtis Mead can get back to the base for a double play during the seventh inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Amed Rosario runs the bases after hitting a go-ahead two-run home run off of Angels reliever Hunter Strickland, right, during the eighth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels manager Ron Washington sits in the dugout before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon hits an RBI single during the ninth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto, right, tags out the Angels’ Zach Neto at home during the ninth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward watches his RBI single during the ninth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon, left, beats the throw to Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto to score the go-ahead run during the ninth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon slides into home plate past Tampa Bay Rays catcher René Pinto to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Angels held on to win, 5-4. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Hunter Strickland throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Jose Siri walks to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning of their game against the Angels on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels reliever Hunter Strickland follows through on a pitch during the ninth inning of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Angels relief pitcher Hunter Strickland, left, and catcher Logan O’Hoppe embrace after the final out of the ninth inning of their comeback win against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto, left, and second baseman Luis Rengifo celebrate after their 5-4 comeback win against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Anthony Rendon, left, Mike Trout, center, and Mickey Moniak celebrate after their comeback win against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A winning clubhouse is always going to be full of smiles, but they were a little wider for the Angels after their 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, simply because of the circumstances that surrounded it.
“Those are the kind of games that get you going,” Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers said. “Those are the type of games that make you want to freaking keep playing. Those are exciting games. We want to be there and win. Those are the type games that you get behind everybody and support everybody. That’s fun baseball.”
The Angels held the lead for most of the night, only to see the Rays go on top with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. But the Angels then rallied for two runs in the ninth.
“I think we did a good job of experiencing what we went through last night and coming out there tonight and just trying to take the game that we played to them,” Manager Ron Washington said. “I think we did that. When we fell behind, I think they showed to themselves what they’re made of the way they came back and took that ballgame.”
The Angels were on the verge of a disheartening loss after right-hander Hunter Strickland allowed Amed Rosario’s two-run homer with two outs in the eighth, but they leaped off the deck in the ninth, starting with the bottom of the order.
Nolan Schanuel and Zach Neto, two of the Angels’ struggling hitters, reached base with one out. Pinch-runner Jo Adell then stole third, with Neto stealing second a pitch later.
Anthony Rendon yanked a single into left field, driving in Adell to tie the score. Neto also tried to score on the play. He was initially called safe, but the play was overturned on review. Rendon went to second on the throw.
With first base open, the Rays then intentionally walked Mike Trout, who had started the scoring with his eighth homer of the season in the first inning.
Taylor Ward, however, was waiting in the on-deck circle. He has been on fire for the first few weeks of the season, particularly with runners in scoring position.
“I wouldn’t have pitched to Mike myself,” Washington said. “That’s why we’ve got Taylor Ward behind Mike. Pick your poison. Some nights you get away with it and some nights you don’t. Tonight they didn’t.”
Ward punched a single into right field, and Rendon slid home just ahead of the tag with the go-ahead run. It was Ward’s 20th RBI of the season, which is the most in the American League.
“I know being behind Mike that (intentional walks) are going to happen,” Ward said. “I want them to pay for that decision. So it makes it a little personal. I’m just glad I was on the right end of it today.”
Strickland then came back to the mound for an uneventful ninth, sealing a victory that he wished he could have locked up for Detmers.
Detmers, who said he didn’t have his best stuff, gave up two runs in 5⅓ innings. The Angels (9-9) would have liked to get another inning or two out of him after the way the bullpen was used in Tuesday’s game. Once Washington pulled Detmers, his plan was to have Adam Cimber finish the sixth and seventh, and have Strickland work the eighth and ninth.
Cimber escaped the jam that Detmers left him in the sixth, and then he was bailed out by Neto in the seventh.
The Rays had runners at first and second with one out, after an infield hit and a hit batter. Dangerous leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz hit a soft liner back up the middle. Neto raced toward the bag and snagged it, then flung himself to slap his glove on the base before the runner could get back, for an inning-ending double play.
After it was over, the players all pointed to ways that each had come through and they talked about what it could mean in the big picture.
“It can carry us a long way for sure,” Strickland said. “It’s a long year but we can always reflect back to this. You build a special bond when you go through moments like this. They carry you a long way.”
