The Yankees’ 9-3 thrashing of the Angels on Thursday was led by Anthony Rizzo and Jose Trevino, two stars who were so far away from the media glare. The game was notable because it was driven by these batters, who the Angels haven’t ever thought of causing them the maximum damage. But in the bottom of the first, the Yankees scored five runs on a single by Rizzo, a bases-loaded walk by Peraza, and a two-out, three-run double to left field by Jose Trevino.
Anthony Rizzo began the onslaught
On Thursday, Anthony Rizzo extended his impressive start to the season by reaching base safely five times in the New York Yankees’ 9-3 win over the highly regarded Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium.
Anthony Rizzo had a tremendous day at the plate, reaching base in all eight innings thanks to his two singles in the first and second innings, two walks in the fourth and seventh innings, and an RBI single in the eighth.
The Yankees’ first baseman’s stellar season has resulted in a .344 batting average, a .449 on-base percentage, and a .578 slugging percentage through 18 games.
The Yankees’ bottom order made up for the top four hitters’ inability to score runs by scoring three runs on one hit by Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo enjoys no shifts
Some players, like Anthony Rizzo, are pleased with the new rules against defensive shifts.
“Not having nine guys on the right side of the field definitely helps out a lot more,” Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s not really much in the back of my mind when I’m hitting but more after the fact or even when other guys are hitting.”
Up from .224 last year, Anthony Rizzo is now batting .344, good for fourth in the American League. As of right now, his OPS is 1.027 (4 HR, 10 RBI). The left-handed hitters’ batting averages have fallen progressively from .273 to .293 between 2014 and 2019 due to the increase in shifts over the past decade.
“He feels really good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Really started his to find his stroke a little bit literally the last couple days of spring training and obviously now he’s carried that right into the season.”
Jose Trevino added to the offense
Yankees catcher Jose Trevino came out when they needed him the most. He opened the scoring with a base-clearing double in the first inning, and Oswald Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa added two RBIs apiece.
Nestor Cortes, starting pitcher for the Yankees, had a good outing, tossing 94 pitches over six innings while surrendering three runs on four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. The Angels’ top pair of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani combined for a 1-for-7 day at the plate with a walk, but promising rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe continued to show his potential by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs before leaving the game following a shoulder pain.
Because of this victory, the Yankees are now 12-7 and in third place in the AL West, while the Angels are now 9-10 and in last place.
100% series-win record
Despite the early season setbacks, the Yankees have yet to drop a series this year. On Thursday, they made sure the streak would continue with a 9-3 victory over the Angels in the decisive game of the series. Nestor Cortes pitched six excellent innings, the offense was patient, and center fielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a great game.
With the victory, the Yankees have won five of their first six series and split the other, becoming just the third club in franchise history since 1957 to do so while having a significant number of key contributors on the injured list.
They’ve now won every series this season despite facing a loss.
“It’s great to show off that depth that we have and for those guys to come in and contribute in big moments,” said Cortes. “We were 1-1 and we didn’t want to lose the series. It was very important for us to win this game and guys came out and executed.”
As a team, the Yankees drew 11 walks, and six of those runners eventually scored. Anthony Rizzo led the way by going 3-for-3 with two walks, two runs, and an RBI. Cortes was in complete control through the first four innings, allowing no hits until the bottom of the fifth, when the Angels’ lineup scored five runs on three singles.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees extended their lead. DJ LeMahieu drove in a run with a double, and then the bases were loaded, and Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run single for the Yankees, increasing their advantage to 8-3. In the eighth inning, Oswald Peraza, making his second start of the season, provided the Yankees with another surprising contribution with an RBI single.
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