Angels rally to defeat the Yankees on Taylor Ward’s double
Taylor Ward‘s two-run double into the left-center gap scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, Kevin Pillar had a two-run homer among his three hits and the Angels rallied for a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium to end a four-game losing streak.
Ward attacked Clay Holmes’ first pitch and drove it over the head of Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo. The ball rolled to the wall, allowing Mickey Moniak and Luis Rengifo to score.
“That’s the big hit we’ve been looking for,” manager Ron Washington said. “We’ve been putting ourselves in position and Taylor came through for us.”
It also marked only the second time in 29 games the Angels have won when trailing after seven innings.
“I took my shot there, came through and put a good swing on it. Glad it all worked out,” Ward said. “He has a sinker and tried to take a tight swing.”
It’s also only the seventh time in 26 games at home that the Angels have won. Then again, it did feel a little bit like a road game because of the large number of New York fans in attendance.
Ward came up with a chance to deliver his big hit after Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo mishandled Rengifo’s ground ball for an error and kept the inning alive.
It was Rizzo’s third error in 55 games at first this season. He had four in 92 games last year.
“I need to make that play. That one stinks,” he said.
Matt Moore (1-1) earned the victory and Carlos Estévez retired the side in the ninth for his eighth save.
With the first third of the season complete, the Angels have put themselves in position to challenge a major league record for futility at home.
Juan Soto, who hit his 15th home run of the season in the first inning, couldn’t provide any late heroics as he flew out to right fielder Jo Adell to end the game. Soto, who homered for the fifth time in seven games, finished with two hits and two RBIs.
“For only three runs, I thought up and down the lineup we had good at-bats and were hitting the ball off the barrel all night long. We couldn’t break it open,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Anthony Volpe had a pair of base hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. It’s the longest by a Yankees hitter since Robinson Canó’s 23-game run in 2012.
Yankees starter Nestor Cortes had not given up an earned run in 15-2/3 innings until Pillar’s two-run homer in the first, which just cleared the short fence in the left-field corner.
Soto tied it at 2-2 in the fourth with a base hit to drive in DJ LeMahieu, who made his season debut after sitting out the first two months because of a nondisplaced fracture of his right foot.
Austin Wells made it 3-2 in the fifth with a double off the wall in right-center to drive in Rizzo. Gleyber Torres tried to score from first but was easily tagged out at the plate by Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe after the relay throw from second baseman Kyren Paris.
Cleveland Guardians assistant pitching coach Joe Torres was once part of an Angels core of top prospects, but he was never able to play in Anaheim.
Cortes gave up two runs and five hits and struck out four in 5-1/3 innings. In his last three starts, the left-hander has given up three runs (two earned) in 17-1/3 innings.
With Cortes’ outing, the Yankees set a major league record with their starters going at least five innings and giving up two runs or fewer in 15 straight games.
Angels starter Griffin Canning gave up three runs, nine hits and had five strikeouts in five innings.
Up next
In Wednesday’s middle game of the series, the Yankees will go with right-hander Luis Gil (6-1, 2.11 ERA), who is tied for second in the AL in wins. Left-hander Tyler Anderson (5-4, 2.52 ERA) will take the mound for the Angels.
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