Los Angeles Angels 7 — New York Yankees 14
Alfonso Soriano has a career game in tonight’s 12-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
CC Sabathia started strong but stumbled into a problem area just as quickly. After striking out the first two batters, Mike Trout would walk to bring up slugger Mark Trumbo to the plate with one on. Sabathia would hang a slider to Trumbo and Sabathia would not get that ball back. The two-run home run to left field was the 25th home run CC has allowed this season.
During the Mike Trout at-bat, the phenom center fielder hit a foul ball to deep right field where Vernon Wells defended. Right down the line, Wells would overrun the foul ball and it landed behind him, extending the at-bat and the inning. Wells would earn some cheers back in the second inning though. Vernon Wells would hit his first home run since May 15. The solo home run to lead off the second inning was his 11th of the season.
In the third inning, the defense didn’t do CC any favors. After a lead off walk, Collin Cowgill tried to sacrifice bunt but Nix rushed himself and couldn’t handle it down the third base line for the error. Then, after striking out Mike Trout, Lyle Overbay would field a ground ball and attempt to start a double play but Eduardo Nunez would make the catch but erroneously, did not touch second base. The error on Nunez loaded the bases with one out. Former Yankee third baseman, Chris Nelson, would be walked to give the Angels their two-run lead back.
Vernon Wells would get his second hit of the game in the fourth inning. Curtis Granderson would get Wells to third with a double and Jayson Nix would ground out productively, bringing in Wells. But the Yankees really got going in the fifth inning.
After the first out, Eduardo Nunez would hit a single to center field to get on base in front of Alfonso Soriano. The Yankees left fielder would hit his 21st home run of the season into left field. The Yankees 3-2 deficit became a 4-3 lead with one swing.
CC Sabathia created some of his own trouble in the sixth inning. The big left-hander would get one out but walked Chris Nelson, Grant Green and Chris Iannetta in the process. Shortstop Tommy Field would hit a fly ball to left field that Soriano would catch and make a strong throw home to get the lead runner, Chris Nelson, at home. The initial call was that Nelson was safe but the Yankees appealed that Nelson left early.
Home plate umpire David Rackley called Nelson out for leaving early. Sabathia and the Yankees seemed to have an incorrect call in their favor as replays showed Nelson did not leave third base early.
The Yankees would make sure that this missed call didn’t let anyone think they didn’t win tonight. Jayson Nix opened the bottom of the sixth with a single to left field. With a new pitcher, Lyle Overbay would get walked. The next new pitcher would face Austin Romine, who made a great sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners. With the infield drawn in, Eduardo Nunez would hit a sharp ground ball that second baseman Grant Green got a glove on but it wasn’t hit hard enough to prevent a run from scoring. Alfonso Soriano hit a single to right field to bring home the runner from third and Robinson Cano would walk. Lightning rod third baseman Alex Rodriguez would bring in the cheers when he hit a deep double off the base of the left field wall for two runs. By the end of the sixth inning, the Yankees were ahead 8-3.
The Yankees weren’t going to stop at 8-3.
Against the fifth Angels pitcher, Joe Blanton; Curtis Granderson opened the seventh inning with a single and after Jayson Nix flew out, Lyle Overbay and Austin Romine would load the bases for Eduardo Nunez. The Yankees shortstop would beat out a double play attempt and the ninth run of the game scored. Alfonso Soriano would make one more big play in the game when he hit a Yankee Stadium-assisted home run to right field. The barely clearing three-run home run was the second of the game for Soriano.
For Soriano, six runs batted in is a career-high.
Shawn Kelley finished off CC Sabathia’s seventh inning and got two outs in the eighth before he gave up a two-out single. With the score 14-3, the Yankees felt comfortable letting Dellin Betances make his season debut.
Mother Nature, however, felt differently. The 6’8″ product of the Yankees organization would throw a 94 mph fastball for a strike immediately before the clouds broke and the game went to a brief 26-minute rain delay. The game would resume and Betances would throw another 94 mph fastball before dialing up to 97 and finishing off the first batter he faced.
Eduardo Nunez would add on some more runs in the eighth inning with a two-run single but after a late-game delay, the Yankees were eager to finish off the game.
Dellin Betances returned to the mound and struck out the next batter he faced, touching 99 mph. A throwing error by Eduardo Nunez would open the flood gates, no pun intended. J.B. Shuck hit a single to right field to score one. Kole Calhoun would hit a single to left field to put runners on the corners. Mike Trout would make some late inning impact with a three-run home run into the short porch. This made it a 14-7 game. Mark Trumbo would single and Chris Nelson would walk. Despite the seven-run lead, manager Joe Girardi would go to the bullpen to finish off the remainder of the game.
Joba Chamberlain would get a line out and a strike out to finish off the game. The Yankees now have a three-game winning streak. Yes, they actually do.
Win – CC Sabathia (10-10)
Loss – Jason Vargas (6-5)
Notables
Angels
*Mark Trumbo – 2 for 5, R, 2-Run Home Run (26) in the 1st, 2 RBI (75)
*Mike Trout – 1 for 4, 2 R, BB, 3-Run Home Run (21) in the 9th, 3 RBI (76)
Yankees
*Alfonso Soriano – 3 for 6, 3 R, 2 HR (22; 2-Run & 3-Run) in the 5th & 7th, 6 RBI (65)
*Eduardo Nunez – 2 for 6, 2 R, 4 RBI (17)
Current Yankees Record: 61-57
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