Anthony Rizzo‘s error in the eighth inning allowed the Angels to take the lead as the Yankees lost to Los Angeles, 4-3, on Tuesday night.
Willie Calhoun started with a simple, and Luis Rengifo reached on a defensive error when Rizzo threw a grounder with two outs to extend the inning. Clay Holmes entered to maintain the lead for Luke Weaver but Taylor Neighborhood ambushed the reliever and sent a sinker over the head of Alex Verdugo to drive in two and give the Angels a 4-3 lead.
The Yankees fell in the ninth and fell to 37-19 on the year.
Here are the points to remember…
–Juan Soto wasted no time getting the scoring started for the Yankees. In the second inning, the outfielder scooped a 95 mph fastball from Griffin Canning over the right field wall. The explosion was Soto’s 15th of the season and reached 424 feet.
Soto would strike again in the fourth with the Yankees trailing 2-1. He looped a single into left field to allow DJ LeMahieu score with two outs. The Angels got Gleyber Torres out at home trying to score another run.
The Yankees slugger finished 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs.
–Nestor Cortes continued the Yankees’ impressive streak of starters with strong starts. Although the southpaw didn’t have his best start, he drained 5.1 innings (88 strikes/59 pitches), allowing just two runs on five hits and without walking a batter. He had four strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the season. His only mistake was the two-point shot that he gave up Kevin Pilier in the first round.
Cortes’ exit extended the Yankees’ streak to 15 games with a starting pitcher going more than 5 innings and allowing two runs or fewer. This is an MLB record, by Elias.
–Austin Wells gave the Yankees the lead in the fifth inning when he hit a double to right-center field. Wells was on the Angels pitcher as he narrowly missed a home run in his first at-bat. It traveled 363 feet and would have been a 26-park home run.
The backup catcher finished 1-for-4.
-LeMahieu made his 2024 debut on Tuesday and was busy. He finished 0 for 3, but drew a walk and scored the tying run on Soto’s single.
Anthony Volpé extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a single in his second at-bat. He finished 2 out of 5.
Game MVP: Taylor Ward
Ward took Holmes by surprise and threw the first pitch he saw in the eighth into left field for the deciding two-run double.
Strong points
And after
The Yankees continue their three-game series against the Angels on Wednesday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m.
Luis Gil (6-1, 2.11 ERA) will face Tyler Anderson (5-4, 2.52 ERA).
