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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Nick Tropeanos first major league start in more than a month was a victory in itself for the reeling Los Angeles Angels.The right-hander returned to the rotation in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, and there were some encouraging signs during his five-inning outing.Theres more positives than negatives, but still what we saw out of him was losing a lot of counts. His pitch count got up there in a hurry, but his stuff played, manager Mike Scioscia said.After spending most of the past month on the disabled list because of right shoulder tightness, Tropeano threw 95 pitches while allowing two runs and four hits.As we talked about earlier in the season when he was pitching and getting to a certain point of the game and keeping us in games, but the length wasnt quite there, Scioscia added. I think that is kind of the start we saw today, and hopefully we continue to pick up where we left (off) when he was getting into the sixth and seventh inning.Logan Morrison homered and drove in two runs for the Rays, who won for just the third time in 19 games. Matt Moore (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings, improving to 4-0 in his career against Los Angeles and handing the Angels their 12th loss in 14 games.Matt Moore set the tone. Hes on a really good run. Its great to see, Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the left-hander won consecutive starts for the first time since September 2013.Morrison hit a solo homer off Tropeano and gave the Rays the lead for good with an RBI single against Fernando Salas (3-6). Brad Miller also had a solo homer for the last-place Rays, who stopped a four-game losing streak.Jefry Marte homered for Los Angeles before leaving in the sixth with a bruised left knee. The outfielder was hit by a pitch in the fourth but remained in the game long enough to go deep on the first pitch of the sixth to make it 2-all.Andrelton Simmons drove in the other run for the Angels with a fourth-inning double.They just took me out. Im OK, said Marte, who expects to be in the lineup Tuesday, when the four-game series continues at Tropicana Field.Meanwhile, Salas has taken the loss in four of his last eight appearances. The right-hander has a 9.72 ERA over his past 16 outings, compared to 2.01 through his first 22 appearances this year.Fernando just hasnt been as crisp. His command has been in the equation of why hes been struggling, Scioscia said. Hes a better pitcher than hes shown. Theres no doubt about that.Tropeano was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game to make his first major league start since May 29. The right-hander, activated on June 24 and optioned to the minors, allowed solo homers to Miller in the third and Morrison in the fifth. He walked one and struck out two.I would say the one to Miller was kind of up in the zone; I didnt get it down. Morrison went out and got it. Ill tip my cap to him, Tropeano said. Overall, I was just trying to get the rust out a little. ... I ran my pitch count up a little, but physically I felt good.The Rays scored twice against Salas in the sixth, with Morrison delivering a go-ahead single and Steven Souza Jr. doubling into the left-field corner to drive in Morrison from first base and make it 4-2.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: Scioscia said C Geovany Soto (right knee) could return during the four-game series. Soto is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake.Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) will start a rehab assignment with Class A Charlotte on Wednesday. . Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (right biceps tendinitis) felt fine after a bullpen session Sunday and didnt rule out being ready to return this week.COMING AND GOINGAngels: To make room for Tropeano, LHP Jose Alvarez was optioned to Salt Lake to find his release point, according to Scioscia. The move leaves Los Angeles without a left-hander in the bullpen. In a perfect world you have one or two lefties that can go there and match up, but were not there right now, Scioscia said.Rays: CF Desmond Jennings was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. RHP Tyler Sturdevant was recalled from Triple-A Durham to help a struggling bullpen.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Tim Lincecum (1-2, 6.75 ERA) makes his second career start against Tampa Bay, which hasnt faced him since Aug. 3, 2013, when he was with San Francisco.Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.91 ERA) tries to end a stretch of nine consecutive home starts without a win, the longest streak by a Rays pitcher to begin a season since Scott Kazmir went 10 in 2007. Odorizzi is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.Dominic Moore Jersey . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Tomas Tatar Jersey . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. http://www.canadienssale.com/authentic-maurice-richard-canadiens-jersey/ . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Charles Hudon Jersey . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Phillip Danault Canadiens Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- To suggest that LHP Danny Duffy has been the only thing positive about Kansas City Royals pitching in the past month is nearly correct.As the Royals visit the Tampa Bay Rays to open a four-game series, they do so in the midst of a four-game skid that began after Duffys last start, which came after another four-game losing streak.In Kansas Citys last 25 games, the Royals are 5-0 when Duffy starts and 2-18 when he doesnt.He simplified his mechanics, so hes able to repeat them consistently, Royals manager Ned Yost explained Sunday. Hes throwing strikes with all three of his pitches, managing his pitch count very, very effectively. And hes really just turned the corner.And a 27-year-old who has only once had a winning record in five previous seasons -- and that was going 2-0 in five starts in 2013 -- is now 6-1, and again the Royals best chance to pull out of a slide that has seen them drop eight of nine games.The Rays, somehow, are on the opposite tear. After a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees, theyve matched a season high with four straight wins. Theyve done it with the opposite of the Royals problem: reliable, consistent quality starts from their pitching staff.Sundays starter, LHP Blake Snell, gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings for the win but fell two outs shy of the minimum for a quality start, thus ending a streak of 10 straight quality starts by Rays piitchers.ddddddddddddWere starting to see a trend: When you pitch well and play good defense, you give yourself a chance to win consecutive ballgames, said Rays manager Kevin Cash, not far removed from a stretch where the Rays won three of 27 games.The Rays are scheduled to start RHP Chris Archer, who has a major-league-high 14 losses, against the Royals, but theres the possibility he could be dealt in a blockbuster move before Mondays 4 p.m. trading deadline. Archer has been mentioned as a possibility for the Los Angeles Dodgers, though the price would be expensive to pry an All-Star leader from Tampa Bay.The Rays could be very busy -- fellow starters Matt Moore and Jake Odorizzi have both been mentioned as trade targets, as has versatile infielder Steve Pearce, who is a free agent this winter.The three-game sweep this weekend was enough to make the Yankees sellers, trading away prized reliver Andrew Miller, but will it be enough to keep the Rays from moving major pieces of their franchise?As it stands, the Rays being active at the trade deadline would be one thing to help change the momentum of two teams -- the Rays, getting back to their winning ways but far out of contention, and the Royals, hoping to get another win from Duffy, their proven streak-buster. ' ' '