Yanks hold off Angels to snap skid
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Bases loaded with two outs. Bottom of the ninth inning in a one-run game.
The greatest closer in baseball history facing one of the best hitters of his generation.
An average Sunday afternoon game swiftly turned into a memorable moment, and Mariano Rivera made it even better for the Yankees when he struck out Albert Pujols to close out New York’s skid-snapping win.
Rivera fanned Pujols on three pitches to end the Angels’ five-run rally in the ninth, and the Yankees stopped their fivegame losing streak with a wild 6-5 victory over Los Angeles.
“The moment
doesn’t really get to him,” Travis Hafner said of Rivera, baseball’s career saves leader. “As long as he’s got the lead, you feel he’s going to find a way to get the win.”
Rivera would have enjoyed his 632nd save a bit more if he hadn’t caused much of the drama himself in the park where he made his major league debut in 1995 and earned his first save a year later.
CC Sabathia pitched five-hit ball into the ninth and Hafner hit a three-run homer off Jered Weaver, but the Yankees barely got enough from Rivera. New York’s famed closer gave up three hits and a walk, but still got his 24th save in dramatic fashion.
“That’s what everybody comes and pays for,” said Lyle Overbay, who had an RBI double. “That was a little closer than we thought, but I didn’t sense a lot of panic.”
Jayson Nix also drove in a run during a five-run third inning for the Yankees, who salvaged the finale of their 10-game road trip by battering Weaver (1-3) early and hanging on by their fingernails late.
Sabathia (7-5) struck out six and walked three, but tired in the ninth, leaving with two runners on. After reliever David Robertson left with a 6-1 lead, Rivera gave up Erick Aybar’s RBI groundout, Alberto Callaspo’s two-run single and Peter Bourjos’ RBI single. Rivera then walked Mike Trout to load the bases before getting Pujols.
Former Angels outfielder Vernon Wells drove in what turned out to be the decisive run with a sacrifice fly off Jerome Williams in the eighth.
Despite the finish, Sabathia decisively won the matchup of both clubs’ top starters. Los Angeles managed just four singles off Sabathia until the crazy ninth.
Sabathia left after Trout’s leadoff double and a walk to Pujols. Trumbo then got an RBI with a line drive that hit Robertson and bounced into right field for a single. Robertson stayed in the game, but loaded the bases with a one-out walk to pinchhitter J.B. Shuck.
That created an unlikely save opportunity with a fiverun lead for Rivera, but the 43-year-old wasn’t sharp before striking out Pujols.
NOTES: Mark Teixeira got a cortisone shot in his injured right wrist and will be re-evaluated next week, but manager Joe Girardi said the tendon sheath around his wrist is just inflamed, not torn again. Teixeira left Saturday’s game in the fourth inning and returned to New York for examination on his wrist, which kept him out for the first 53 games of the season.