The Yankees scored seven runs in the first inning, but the Los Angeles Angels scored seven in the ninth for a stunning 11-8 win at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the takeaways…
1. After trailing 2-0 through the top half of the first, the Yankees took Shohei Ohtani to task early. The phenom walked the first three batters he faced, bringing Giancarlo Stanton to the dish with the bases loaded and none out. Stanton singled, cutting the deficit to one. Gleyber Torres singled, tying the game, still with no outs. Miguel Andujar drove in a run on a groundout to give the Yanks the lead, and Brett Gardner walked with the bases loaded to bring in the Yanks’ fourth run of the inning.
That knocked Ohtani off the mound – and out of the ballgame. In his second at-bat of the inning, DJ LeMahieu cleared the bases with a double, giving the Yankees a 7-2 lead, with all seven runs being Ohtani’s responsibility, with his season ERA going up more than one whole run. Ohtani threw 41 pitches in the inning. It was the Yankees’ first seven-run inning in over six years.
2. Domingo German did his best to not hold the lead, though. He had already given up a two-run home run to Phil Gosselin in the first, and allowed an RBI double to Juan Lagares in the second. Then he faced the leadoff spot to bring the Angels within a run – luckily, the Angels’ best hitter was already out of the game, and German instead struck out Scott Schebler and got Anthony Rendon to line out to end the inning. German loaded the bases again in the third, but escaped without damage. He was pulled through three after the game’s first rain delay.
3. In the bottom of the second, the Yanks had a chance to tack on some more, but Miguel Andujar grounded into a bases loaded double play to end the inning. The game was delayed in the third inning due to rain with runners on second and third with one out. When the game resumed, Luke Voit struck out, and Gary Sanchez was robbed of an RBI double to end the inning.
4. Justin Wilson entered the game in the fourth, and retired all three batters he faced. But Luis Cessa allowed a leadoff homer to Jared Walsh in the fifth the cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-4. The game then hit its second delay in the bottom of the fifth. Play resumed after 91 minutes.
5. Clint Frazier left the game in the third inning with complaints of dizziness.
6. Darren O’Day made his first appearance out of the bullpen since coming off the IL, pitching a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Jonathan Loaisiga also gave the Yankees two outstanding innings, going six-up, six-down in the seventh and eighth.
7. Gardner added (what seemed to be) an insurance run in the eighth with a solo shot to put the Yankees up 8-4, and Aroldis Chapman came in to close things out in the ninth, even with the save situation out of play. Chapman’s command was all over the place, as he walked the bases loaded to bring the tying run to the plate. Chapman then threw a hanging slider to Walsh, who walloped a grand slam to tie the game. It was the first grand slam Chapman has ever allowed, as he was pulled there with the game tied.
Lucas Luetge came in to relieve Chapman, but he allowed a walk, a single, and a stolen base before pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo delivered a two-run single to put the Angels up 10-8. Taylor Ward doubled Rengifo home to make it an 11-8 lead, as a stunned silence fell over Yankee Stadium.
Highlights
What’s next
Jordan Montgomery will take the mound facing Griffin Canning for the Angels at 1:05 p.m. in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon.