Angels Walk Over Yankees

[May 06, 2014]  ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Whatever success the Los Angeles Angels have had this season can be attributed mostly to how they've swung the bat. But Monday against the New York Yankees, it was how they didn't swing the bat that helped lift them to a 4-1 victory at Angel Stadium.

The Angels drew six walks in the bottom of the eighth inning, three of them forcing in a run. Second baseman Howie Kendrick's bases-loaded walk snapped a 1-1 tie, and walks by pinch hitter John McDonald and catcher Chris Iannetta drove in the second and third runs of the inning.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasn't around to see it live, instead watching it on TV from the visitors clubhouse. He was ejected in the top of the eighth inning, when the Yankees failed to score after loading the bases with nobody out against Angels right-hander Jered Weaver.

Left fielder Brett Gardner came to the plate after the Yankees began the inning with three consecutive singles. On Weaver's 1-0 pitch to Gardner, plate umpire Laz Diaz called a strike. Girardi objected, and Diaz immediately threw Girardi out of the game. Girardi stormed out of the dugout and argued vehemently with Diaz for several minutes.

That confrontation was triggered way back in the second inning, when Girardi voiced his displeasure with a strike call.
 

"I mentioned to Laz, in a respectful way, that I thought a pitch was up to Kelly Johnson early in the game and he gave me the 'Mutumbo,'" Girardi said, waving his finger side to side. "And I don't appreciate that. I'm not a little kid and I don't need to be scolded. Obviously we're trying to work together and I just thought there were a lot of inconsistencies tonight."

So when the 1-0 pitch to Gardner was called a strike, Girardi wouldn't stand for it.

"It's the biggest pitch of the game at that point," Girardi said. "No one's coming to see Laz, I can tell you that."

Gardner then struck out, bringing up shortstop Derek Jeter. With a chance to break a 1-1 tie, Jeter swung at the first pitch and grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Weaver (3-2) pumped his fist and screamed as he walked off the field, his night finished after eight innings and 103 pitches. He gave up one run on six hits and one walk while striking out seven.

"I showed a little bit of emotion getting out of that jam," Weaver said, stating the obvious. "A great turn by (second baseman) Howie staying with that ball. Luckily Jeter hit it right at him. I was pretty hyped. ... It was awesome."

Angels right-hander Ernesto Frieri, who lost his closer duties April 25, resumed the role Monday and retired the Yankees in order in the ninth to earn his third save.

Right-hander Joe Smith was up in the bullpen getting ready to pitch the ninth, but got sick after making his warm-up pitches.

"It was crazy," Frieri said. "Everybody was surprised because he was warming up pretty good and the last minute he was like, 'Oh man, I don't feel good.'"

Yankees right-hander David Phelps made his first start of the season after nine appearances out of the bullpen, but he looked right at home in a starting role, retiring the first 10 batters he faced.

The Angels didn't have a baserunner until center fielder Mike Trout walked with one out in the fourth, and they didn't have a hit until first baseman Albert Pujols followed with a single to right field, moving Trout to third.

Phelps escaped the jam when he got designated hitter C.J. Cron to hit into an inning-ending double play.

The Angels finally pushed across a run against Phelps in the fifth inning. Kendrick led off with a triple and scored on third baseman Ian Stewart's groundout.

Phelps was finished after 87 pitches and 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and one walk.

The Yankees scored their only run against Weaver on an RBI single by first baseman Mark Teixeira in the seventh inning.

"Fastball location was probably the best that it's been this year," Weaver said. "Obviously with that team you have to keep them off-balance as much as possible, you can't stay one way with these guys. And I was able to do that for the most part."
 

NOTES: Yankees SS Derek Jeter, who is in his final season, got a standing ovation from the crowd before his first at-bat. ... Yankees OF Carlos Beltran did not play. He hit .103 (3-for-29) on the just-concluded homestand against the Angels, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. ... Angels 1B/DH C.J. Cron started for the third consecutive game since he was called up May 3, but Monday marked the first game with him hitting cleanup. ... Los Angeles 2B Howie Kendrick has seven stolen bases in 2014, one more than he had all of last season.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.