Yankees Avoid Sweep with Victory Over Angels

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 16th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels Post Game Recap 

Final Score: Yankees 6 Angels 5

The New York Yankees were able to avoid a second straight sweep on the West Coast with a 6-5 win on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees finished their West Coast swing going (4-6), and are now (38-31) on the season, and three games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

The offense for the Yankees finally woke up a bit against Jered Weaver, who was handed his third loss of the season. Travis Hafner hit a three-run homerun in the third inning to get the Yankees an early lead, as it was Hafner’s 11th homerun of the season. The Yankees wouldn’t be done in the third inning, as Lyle Overbay getting the start at First Base for the injured Mark Teixeira had a RBI double to score Vernon Wells, and then Overbay was knocked in by a base hit from Jayson Nix, in what was a five-run third inning for the Yankees.



Jerome Williams would pitch the final three innings for the Angels, and did a pretty good job eating innings for the Angels bullpen. Williams went three innings only allowing one run on two hits, as Vernon Wells was able to hit a sac-fly to score Robinson Cano in the eighth inning.

C.C. Sabathia would give the Yankees the ace like start they desperately needed, as he picked up his seventh win of the season. Sabathia went eight innings allowing only two runs on five hits, three walks, and he struck out six batters. The Angels wouldn’t be able to score until a big time rally in the ninth inning that started with a Mike Trout double, and then a walk to Albert Pujols led to Sabathia getting pulled for Robertson. Robertson would strike out Howie Kendrick for the first out of the ninth, but then walk J.B. Shuck, which led to Mariano Rivera coming in the game. Things got very interesting then, as an Erik Aybar groundout to First Base scored Pujols. Alberto Callaspo would get a base hit off Rivera with two outs to score Trumbo and Shuck. Brad Hawpe would get a base hit to give the Angels runners on the corners for Peter Bourjos, who then got another hit Rivera to make it a 6-5 game. A walk to Mike Trout would set up a dream match-up with the game on the line, as Pujols and Rivera squared off with the bases loaded, and Rivera got the best of Pujols striking him out on three pitches to end the game.

Next up will be a needed day off on Monday, as the Yankees head back home to host the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Phil Hughes (3-5, 4.89) will be facing Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-2, 2.85) on Tuesday.