Angels snap Yanks' series streak

[April 26, 2010]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales homered, Brandon Wood drove in the go-ahead runs with a bases-loaded double and the Los Angeles Angels handed the New York their first series loss of the season with an 8-4 victory Sunday.

Scott Kazmir (2-1) gave up two home runs -- including his third to Robinson Cano this season -- but got the win after allowing four runs, three hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.

Javier Vazquez (1-3) threw 78 pitches in just 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs, five hits and three walks. The 33-year-old right-hander hasn't made it through the sixth in any of his four starts, surrendering 20 runs in 20 innings. Last year, Vazquez pitched at least six innings in 28 of his 32 starts with Atlanta.

New York had won its first five series, including a three-game set against the Angels in the Bronx, to tie the 1926 Yankees for the most consecutive series won by the franchise at the start of a season.

The Angels spotted the Yankees a 3-0 lead before Abreu launched a solo shot to right with two out in the third. It was his 259th career homer and his 10th off Vazquez, the most he's hit against any pitcher.

The three-time defending AL West champions pulled ahead 5-3 in the fourth with Howie Kendrick's RBI single, Wood's clutch double off the glove of a diving Marcus Thames in left field, and a run-scoring groundout by Maicer Izturis. Wood's first two RBIs of the season came in his 51st at-bat.

In the seventh, the switch-hitting Morales got the green light on a 3-0 pitch from Damaso Marte with two outs and hit a three-run shot to left-center. In Friday's series-opening 6-4 win, Morales hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning.

Cano, who homered twice against Kazmir on April 15 at Yankee Stadium in the left-hander's season debut off the disabled list, had to bail out of the batter's box on the first pitch he saw from the left-hander in their rematch. The next one hit Cano on the backside, and he went to first base without incident as manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue went out to check on him.

Jorge Posada hit the very next pitch into the trees behind the center field fence for his fourth homer to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead, and Cano stomped on the plate before heading to the dugout.

Thames followed Posada's fourth homer with a double, advanced on a sacrifice by Curtis Granderson and scored as Derek Jeter beat the relay to first base on a potential inning-ending double-play grounder to third.

Cano led off the sixth with his fifth homer, trimming the Angels' lead to 5-4. It was his seventh hit in 31 at-bats against Kazmir.

NOTES: Yankees reserve OF Randy Winn, who has played in more games than any active major leaguer who has never been to the postseason (1,611), will respectfully skip the team's visit to the White House on Monday. "It's for the guys who won the World Series," said the 13-year veteran, who signed with them as a free agent in February after four-plus seasons with the Giants. "You play for a chance to go to the playoffs and get to the World Series. But nothing's guaranteed. I mean, I was up eight games at the All-Star break with Seattle in 2003 and didn't make it." ... The Yankees don't play at Anaheim the rest of the regular season, but they will be at Dodger Stadium for a three-game set beginning June 25. ... Nine-time Gold Glove CF Torii Hunter robbed Alex Rodriguez of extra bases in the eighth with a diving catch in left-center.

[Associated Press]

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