TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Angels erupted for seven runs in the ninth inning Saturday afternoon to complete a 14-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays at George Steinbrenner Field, snapping a two-game losing streak and salvaging the opener of a three-game series.

The Angels, who entered with a 22-36 record, improved to 23-36 while the Rays fell to 35-20. Left fielder Wade Meckler delivered the game’s biggest early blow with a first-inning grand slam, and the Angels never trailed. Reid Detmers earned the victory, improving to 2-5, while Drew Rasmussen took the loss, falling to 4-2.

Attendance was 22,480, and the game lasted 3 hours, 20 minutes.

The Angels wasted no time against Rasmussen. After cleanup hitter Mike Trout reached on a single, Vaughn Grissom and Jorge Soler both walked to load the bases. Meckler then crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right-field wall for his second homer of the season, staking the Angels to a 4-0 lead. The grand slam was Meckler’s first in the majors and set the tone for an offense that would collect 11 hits.

The Rays answered immediately in the bottom half. Yandy Díaz led off with his 11th home run, a solo shot to left field, cutting the deficit to 4-1. But Detmers settled in after that, retiring the next three batters to strand two runners.

The Angels added a run in the fourth. Meckler singled, advanced on a flyout, and scored on a double by Donovan Walton, making it 5-1. Trout extended the lead in the fifth with his 14th home run, a solo blast to left field, putting the Angels ahead 6-1.

The Rays mounted a threat in the bottom of the fifth. Díaz singled, Jonathan Aranda walked and Junior Caminero doubled off third baseman Donovan Walton’s glove, scoring Díaz. Ryan Vilade then grounded out to shortstop, plating Aranda and cutting the lead to 6-3. But Detmers escaped further damage when Chandler Simpson struck out.

Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh. The Angels tacked on a run in the seventh when Zach Neto walked, Trout walked, and a Vaughn Grissom lineout advanced the runners, but Soler struck out to end the inning. However, the Angels broke the game open in the ninth.

The rally began with a walk to catcher Sebastián Rivero. Pinch hitter Nick Madrigal was hit by a pitch, and Trout walked to load the bases. Grissom was then hit by a pitch, forcing in Rivero to make it 7-3. After Jorge Soler popped out, Jose Siri grounded into a forceout that scored Madrigal, making it 8-3. Jo Adell then delivered the decisive blow, a three-run homer to center field, his ninth of the season, scoring Trout and Siri to make it 11-3. Oswald Peraza followed with a solo homer to right-center, his seventh, and Donovan Walton singled. Rivero doubled off the left fielder’s glove, scoring Walton to cap the seven-run outburst at 14-3.

Detmers worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six and walking four. Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth, Drew Pomeranz and José Fermín combined for four scoreless innings of relief, allowing only one hit and striking out four.

The Rays managed six hits, two by Caminero, who doubled twice. Díaz had two hits, including his home run. Rasmussen lasted 3⅔ innings, surrendering five runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Garrett Cleavinger and Casey Legumina worked in relief for Tampa Bay.

The game featured a notable defensive play in the ninth: the Angels challenged a forceplay call at second base, but the call was upheld.

The most important sequence occurred in the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Meckler’s grand slam immediately gave the Angels a four-run cushion, allowed Detmers to pitch with confidence and forced the Rays to play from behind the rest of the night. That early burst proved decisive, as the Angels never relinquished the lead.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles Angels 6, Tampa Bay Rays 5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Tampa Bay a 66.40 percent probability to win. The Rays had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 17 went under the over-under line of 7.