Yankees salvage finale, power past Angels 6-5

The New York Yankees used some of their might to overcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the series finale last night. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano homered in the third to give the Bombers a 5-1 lead, and the bullpen worked out of numerous jams late in the game to hold off the Angels.

The Yankees entered the game with some lofty numbers against Angels starter Ervin Santana. The roster was hitting a combined .294 with 24 homers against him. In the third inning, down 1-0, the Yankees took advantage. Russell Martin walked to begin the inning and moved to third on a single by Derek Jeter. Jeter then stole second. Granderson drilled a 3-2 fastball into the right center field seats, his 16th home run of the season. Alex Rodriguez got to a 3-2 count as well and was hit by the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Cano, who struck out twice the night before with the bases loaded, blasted a homer to right field.

Now staked to a 5-1 lead Yankees starter Ivan Nova needed to keep the Angels at bay. He couldn’t do it. After walking Kendrys Morales to lead off the bottom of the fourth, Mark Trumbo, the new Yankees killer, hit the third home run of the series and his fourth in as many nights. The Yanks are going to be happy to leave Trumbo behind. He went 8-for-13 with 5 R, 3 HR, and 6 RBI in series. Later in the inning Nova allowed a Mike Trout double which plated two more runs. Just like that the game was tied at five.

The Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning after a one-out triple by Raul Ibanez and a sac fly from Nick Swisher. Nova worked through the first two batters of the seventh inning before being lifted for Boone Logan. Logan allowed a single to the left-handed hitting Morales, and then another single to Trumbo putting runners at first and third. Yankees manager Joe Girardi brought in Cory Wade, who allowed Trumbo’s walk-off homer in the series opener. Wade struck out Howie Kendrick swinging to end the threat.

Wade struck out two in the Angels half of the eighth and handed the ball off to Rafael Soriano in the ninth. Soriano worked into and out of trouble to earn the save, his sixth in as many tries.

YGY Bits & Editor’s Note