Yankees 2-1 Angels: Volpe, Verdugo back Gil’s superb outing

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil throws to a Los Angeles Angels batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif.

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New York Yankees 2-1 Los Angeles Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yankees pitcher Luis Gil was outstanding on the mound, striking out nine and earning his sixth straight win. This win continues the impressive run of the Yankees’ starting pitchers. Alex Verdugo contributed offensively with a home run, helping the New York team edge out the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Anthony Volpe remained hot at the plate, recording two hits and extending his hitting streak to an impressive 21 games, tying for the longest streak in Major League Baseball this season. He also scored a run for the Yankees.

The Angels’ only highlight came from Logan O’Hoppe’s solo home run. However, this wasn’t enough to avert their fourth loss in five games.

Yankees starter Luis Gil maintained his momentum, pitching eight innings and allowing just one run on two hits. This exceptional performance prolonged the Yankees’ pitching staff’s remarkable streak to 16 straight games. In an impressive feat, each starting pitcher during this stretch has thrown at least five innings while giving up two runs or fewer.

Yankees Pitching on Fire: Dominant Stretch Continues

The New York Yankees‘ pitching staff has proven to be formidable. Since May 12th, their starters have been nearly unbeatable, posting an impressive 12-4 record. During this period, they have allowed just 11 earned runs across 99 innings, resulting in an astonishing 1.00 ERA. Opposing hitters have struggled significantly, achieving only a .158 batting average against this dominant pitching performance.

Closer Clay Holmes sealed the victory in the ninth inning, earning his 16th save of the season. The Angels posed a threat with runners on first and second with no outs, but the Yankees defense rose to the occasion. A pivotal double play started by a Willie Calhoun ground ball and followed by a ground out from Logan O’Hoppe extinguished the rally.

Early in the game, the Yankees nearly had a big inning. The first three batters reached base, but an unconventional double play due to baserunner interference by Juan Soto halted their momentum. Another scoring chance was thwarted in the second inning when Anthony Rizzo was hit by a line drive from DJ LeMahieu. However, Alex Verdugo later broke through, hitting a towering home run off Tyler Anderson to put the Yankees on the scoreboard.

In the seventh inning, Anthony Volpe extended his hot streak by hitting a triple to the right-field corner and scoring on a throwing error by Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo. Luis Gil was in control, retiring 11 consecutive batters before O’Hoppe hit a solo home run.

Despite early setbacks, the Yankees’ pitching staff prevailed, continuing their impressive dominance.

Yankees Frustrated by Early Baserunning Mishaps

The New York Yankees encountered early difficulties on the basepaths in Wednesday’s game against the Angels. In the first inning, Giancarlo Stanton hit a high popup near second base. The umpires called an infield fly, but the situation quickly deteriorated. Juan Soto, trying to retreat to second base, collided with Angels shortstop Zach Neto, disrupting Neto’s attempt to catch the ball, which then fell harmlessly in the infield.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Second base umpire Vic Carapazza deemed this contact as interference by Soto, resulting in the second out being called. Manager Aaron Boone was not pleased with this decision and passionately argued the call, but his protest was in vain, leading to his ejection from the game for the third time this season. With the Yankees’ frustration evident, Tyler Anderson and the Angels escaped the inning unscathed due to a groundout by Alex Verdugo.

The Yankees’ misfortune continued into the second inning. With runners on first and second and one out, DJ LeMahieu hit a grounder that took a bad bounce, striking a running Anthony Rizzo as he rounded third base. This led to an automatic out for the Yankees, squandering another scoring chance.

The Yankees Roster

Up Next

The Yankees are set to rely on their scorching starting pitching once more, with left-hander Carlos Rodón (6-2, 2.95 ERA) taking the mound for the series finale against the Angels. Rodón aims to continue the Yankees’ dominance and clinch a series victory. Facing him will be Patrick Sandoval (2-7, 5.60 ERA) of the Angels.

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