|
 Phelps allowed two hits in 6 2/3 shutout innings, snapping his
career-high four-game losing streak and leading the Yankees to their
fourth straight victory, a 7-0 win over the Oakland A's in the
opener of a three-game series.
"I was attacking guys," Phelps said. "The last couple starts I was
trying to be a little too fine, trying to be perfect with my pitches
because I was digging myself into a hole and knowing I had to keep
it there. But tonight they did a great job scoring early for me, let
me kind of settle in knowing I could be a little more aggressive in
the zone."
Shortstop Derek Jeter, left fielder Brett Gardner, second baseman
Brian Roberts and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki each had two of the
Yankees' 12 hits. The Yankees scored twice in the first inning and
once more in the second off A's right-hander Sonny Gray.
Phelps (2-4) gave up a broken-bat single to catcher Derek Norris in
the fifth inning and a two-out double in the seventh to shortstop
Jed Lowrie, the final batter he faced. He struck out four, walked
three and threw just 102 pitches.
 "I think it's important for him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said
of Phelps ending his skid. "I think he's been pretty frustrated with
the last couple.
"I just thought he had better command tonight. That's important for
him."
Right-hander Dellin Betances took over for Phelps and retired Norris
on a pop fly to end the seventh inning, stranding Lowrie at second.
Betances blanked the A's for 1 1/3 innings, and Jose Ramirez pitched
a scoreless ninth to cap the shutout.
Gray (6-3) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings,
throwing 103 pitches. He struck out seven, walked one and took his
second straight loss. After going 5-1 in his first nine starts, Gray
is 1-2 in his past five.
"He has great stuff," Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury said of
Gray. "Anytime you go against a pitcher of his caliber, it's
important to get on him early. I think that was the key for
tonight."
The Yankees tacked on four runs in the seventh against left-hander
Jeff Francis, using five singles and an error to take complete
control.
Phelps had allowed 20 runs and 30 hits during his four-game slide.
He was coming off his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs
and 10 hits in an 8-4 loss to Kansas City.
[to top of second column] |
"I thought he did a good job," A's right fielder Brandon Moss said
of Phelps. "He threw a lot of good pitches and he didn't really get
himself into any trouble. For as well as he pitched he threw a lot
of balls, and we couldn't take advantage of that. Anytime we would
get the pitch count we would seem to have two strikes. And then we'd
get a guy on and couldn't get anything going. I thought he pitched a
good game."
The Yankees scored two runs in the first inning off Gray, taking a
quick 2-0 lead. Gardner led off with a single, moved to second on
Jeter's sharp single to left and scored when Ellsbury grounded a
single to left. First baseman Mark Teixeira brought Jeter home with
a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Yankees added a run in the second. Roberts grounded an infield
single up the middle with one out, moved to second on a walk to
third baseman Kelly Johnson and scored on Gardner's single to
center.
The A's put two runners on in the fifth but came away empty. Lowrie
walked with one out and move to second on Norris' broken-bat liner
to left, the A's first hit off Phelps. But Phelps retired second
baseman Andy Parrino on a fly ball to center field and then got
first baseman Kyle Blanks to hit a fielder's choice grounder.
NOTES: Oakland INF Alberto Callaspo was placed on paternity leave
Friday and will miss Oakland's three-game series against the
Yankees. The switch-hitting Callaspo is batting .218 with 20 RBIs
and three home runs in 59 games. To take Callaspo's spot on the
roster, the A's recalled INF Andy Parrino from Triple-A Sacramento.
Parrino, a switch hitter, was batting .344 with three home runs and
24 RBIs in 44 games with the River Cats. ... New York signed RHP
Heath Bell to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 590 career relief appearances with the
Mets, Padres, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Rays, Bell is 38-32 with a
3.49 ERA.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
