Collision Course: Yankees lose wild one to Angels on walk-off blast in ninth

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim entered the game on five-game and six-game respective win streaks. The collision course ended poorly for the Yankees. They couldn’t take full advantage of an injury to Angels’ starter Jered Weaver after he faced just three batters to begin last night’s ballgame.

The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Yanks starter Phil Hughes lost the lead in the bottom of the inning. Yankees rallies throughout the night ended up falling just short as Cory Wade gave up a game-winning solo homer to Mark Trumbo, handed the Angels a 9-8 win.

The game started out with Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson getting on board with singles off Weaver. Alex Rodriguez grounded to short, but Erick Aybar couldn’t handle it allowing Jeter to score. With runners at the corners and Robinson Cano at the plate, Weaver seemed to get hurt after his follow through on a pitch. At first it seemed like a knee issue, but the Angels reported the injury was related to Weaver’s lower back. He walked off on his own, but was incredibly angry, as he screamed profanities on his way to the dugout.

The Angels brought in Bobby Cassevah and he finished off a strikeout of Cano. Raul Ibanez lofted a sac fly to score Granderson. The Angels made their second error of the inning, a throwing mistake by Cassevah to first base which let Rodriguez score. Cassevah walked Eric Chavez to load the bases and got Russell Martin to fly out to center to end the inning.

Now staked to a 3-0 lead and gaining an advantage with Weaver off the mound, Hughes had a nice scenario in front of him. He was not up to the task. With his family in the stands, Hughes showed why he can not be relied on. He allowed a lead off single to Mike Trout and then a one-out single to Albert Pujols putting runners at first and third. Kendrys Morales singled scoring Trout. Trumbo drilled a two-run ground-rule double to right scoring Pujols. Howie Kendrick singled home Morales and Trumbo after just missing a home run. Hughes got Aybar and Peter Bourjos to ground out and end the inning.

The Yankees offense was certainly not to blame in this one. Granderson homered in the top of the second to tie the game back up. Hughes would allow a run-scoring sac fly in the third and a homer to Trout in the fourth. Hot hitting Mark Teixeira hit his fourth home run in as many days getting the Yankees to within one in the top of the fifth.

The Angels added two runs in the bottom of the sixth when they finally chased Hughes. Cody Eppley allowed a single and a walk after getting the second out of the inning after he took over. Joe Girardi brought in rookie David Phelps with the bases loaded and Morales greeted him with a two-run double.

Down 8-5 heading into the top of the seventh the Yanks once again staged a rally to tie the score. Cano doubled to lead off the frame. A walk to Teixeira and a single to Ibanez loaded the bases. Swisher brought in Cano with a sac fly. Chavez grounded out moving Teixeira and Ibanez over. Martin, hitting under the Mendoza line for much of the season, belted a two-run double to knot the score at 8. Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning.

Phelps and Boone Logan combined to keep the Angels off the board in the seventh and eighth. The Yankees had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Jeter couldn’t come through as grounded into a force out. Wade, who came into his appearance with a 2.08 ERA and having allowed only one home run in 21.1 innings pitched, left a changeup in the zone for Trumbo who blasted it into the left field seats for the game winning homer.

The Yankees (26-22) remain 2.5 games back of the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East standings.

NOTEWORTHY

• David Robertson and Brett Gardner had encouraging workouts in their efforts to return to the field according to MLB. com reporter Bryan Hoch.
• The Yankees are now 21-18 in games played on Memorial Day.
• Martin, who sat out Sunday’s game with a stiff neck had two hits on the night raising his average to .186.
• The Bombers stranded 11 base runners and were 3-for-11 with RISP.

TODAY’S GAME

The Yankees hope to get back into the win column as they send Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Angels’ righty Dan Haren. Pettitte is making his first road start since his return. Haren is coming off a 14-strikeout-shutout in his last appearance.

EDITORIAL NOTE

Later today, I’ll discuss why this loss hurts in more ways than one and how the Yankees can avoid similar results down the road.