Yanks drop another close game to Angels
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge kneels near home plate after he was tagged out by Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol while trying to score on a single by Starlin Castro during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP)
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Top to bottom, the Yankees’ first inning had plenty - a Gary Sanchez three-run homer to cap a four-run frame and a sensational catch by center fielder Aaron Hicks to steal a grand slam.
But a bevy of blown chances and an ineffective Michael Pineda turned Wednesday into a bitter night for the visitors at Angel Stadium.
Making his big-league debut to boost a tired bullpen, Ronald Hererra surrendered Andrelton Simmons’ tie-breaking, two-run homer in the seventh – the pivotal blow in a 7-5 Angels win.
And the game had an odd finish, with the Angels celebrating Kole Calhoun's catch to rob Hicks of a solo homer for the final out - only to have it overturned by video replay.
Los Angeles Angels' Andrelton Simmons, center, celebrates his two-run home run with Luis Valbuena as New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, right, waits during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP)
Hicks was awarded a double but MLB home run leader Aaron Hicks, batting as the tying run, grounded out to end it.
Before the game, the AL East-leading Yankees (38-25) learned that CC Sabathia would probably be lost for at least a month due to a Grade II left hamstring strain suffered in Tuesday’s disappointing, 5-3 loss.
Without Mike Trout (torn left thumb ligament), the Angels (35-34) took two of three games from the Yanks, and they barreled up Pineda’s pitches over the right-hander’s shaky six innings.
By the third inning, Pineda was already trailing 5-4, and it could have been worse.
With one out and the bases loaded in the first inning, Hicks raced to the wall and made a leaping catch of Luis Valbuena’s long drive, extending his glove over the fence to rob a grand slam.
Valbuena settled for a 400-foot sacrifice fly, but Danny Espinosa’s two-run homer closed the gap in the second. In the third, a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI single by Eric Young Jr. – both occurring with two out – gave the Angels a 5-4 lead.
New York Yankees' Starlin Castro reacts after striking out during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP)
Chase Headley’s RBI single tied it in the sixth, but by then the Yanks had runners thrown out at home, and stranded on third with less than two out – flirting with danger, which struck in the seventh.
After retiring the first two batters he faced, Herrera, freshly recalled from Class AA Trenton, walked Valbuena before Simmons went to one knee in golfing one over the left field fence.
Pineda was charged with five runs on 10 hits in six innings. Angels starter Matt Shoemaker exited in the fourth due to right forearm tightness.