Major League Baseball

Rays 4, Angels 1

Published Jun. 8, 2011 6:42 a.m. ET

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Alex Cobb won't soon forget his first major league victory, especially what happened afterward.

The rookie pitched 6 1-3 strong innings, B.J. Upton homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Cobb's teammates surprised him in the shower, yelling and dousing him with beers or the ''cheap stuff,'' as reliever J.P. Howell said.

''They get you so cold you can't even breathe,'' Cobb said.

Howell relished the soggy ceremony, saying, ''Everyone was in there pouring beer. He tasted it a little bit, too. We all jumped him.''

Cobb (1-0) allowed seven hits and one run in his third major league start and first on the road. The right-hander struck out three and walked none.

''It's surreal. It hasn't really sunk in yet,'' he said, already planning to give the ball to his father. ''It's awesome to think it's going to bring a lot of joy to my family.''

Cobb, a former Los Angeles Dodgers bat boy at spring training in Vero Beach, Fla., couldn't get through the fifth inning in his first start, a no-decision against the Angels on May 1 in Florida. He was sent back down after that game.

''You get more comfortable,'' he said. ''The first outing, I was just happy to be there. Now I want to compete and win.''

After three starts, Cobb thinks he can eventually stick with the big league club.

''I always questioned myself if I'd be able to carry over what I did in Triple-A and the minors,'' he said. ''It's not as big of a jump as I made myself think it would be.''

The Rays won the series opener 5-1 a night earlier, giving them back-to-back victories for the first time since May 11-13, when they won three in a row. Despite the wins, they've lost 14 of their last 23 since they were a season-high eight games over .500 on May 13.

The Angels dropped their fourth in a row and sixth in their last seven.

''I don't know if it's a matter of trying to do too much at times, but it's frustrating being a part of an offense that's struggling to score runs,'' said Vernon Wells, who returned to the Angels' lineup after missing 26 games with a strained right groin.

Kyle Farnsworth retired the side in the ninth to earn his 12th save in 13 chances.

Dan Haren (5-4) gave up eight hits and three runs in seven innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked one after being pushed back three days in the rotation because of lower back tightness last week.

John Jaso extended Tampa Bay's lead to 4-1 with a two-out single off Rich Thompson in the eighth inning.

Upton's homer on the first pitch from Haren with two outs in the third landed in the Angels' bullpen in left field, making it 2-0. Upton didn't play Monday because of the stomach flu that has swept through the team's clubhouse.

Johnny Damon's RBI double with two outs in the fourth made it 3-0. Damon reached base safely in his 33rd consecutive game, extending his career high with the longest active streak in the majors.

Damon opened the game with a triple and scored on Ben Zobrist's groundout. Damon was 3 for 5 with two doubles and the triple.

The Angels' run came on Torii Hunter's RBI single with two outs in the sixth.

Wells failed to ignite their slumping offense. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. The Angels have scored three runs or less in 18 of their last 31 games, including each of the last seven.

They got three hits in the first inning, but failed to score.

''It's just a matter of relaxing and trying not to force the issue, just let some things come to us,'' Wells said. ''Even though it's frustrating, guys are battling. You've got to battle your way through periods like this and get back to where we were.''

Notes: Damon's two doubles gave him 497 for his career, moving him past Frank Thomas for 57th all-time and into a tie with Sam Rice. ... Rays 3B Evan Longoria missed his second straight game because of stomach flu. ... Hunter threw out Damon, who tried to score from second base on a single by Zobrist in the fourth, prompting an animated argument by Rays manager Joe Maddon. ... The Rays improved to 5-9 against AL West opponents. ... Angels INF Alexi Amarista was sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room on the roster for Wells.

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