GRE-GLORIOUS!
DIDI’S SOLO SHOT IN 10TH PROPELS YANKEES TO KEY WIN OVER ANGELS
ANAHEIM, Calif. — In an entertaining game that provided something for almost everyone, including a moving strike zone by the plate umpire that drew the ire of hitters on each club, the Yankees opened a challenging seven-game road trip by extending their winning streak to seven games on Friday night.
Didi Gregorius’ solo homer lifted the Yankees to a thrilling 4-3 victory in 10 innings over the Angels in front of 40,416. Gregorius went 3-for-5 and his 10th homer of the season, off Blake Parker, tied him with Mike Trout for the AL lead. He also hiked his AL-leading batting average to .368.
Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun made two sensational plays to one each by Gregorius and Giancarlo Stanton. Starters Luis Severino and Andrew Heaney pitched effectively. Shohei Ohtani homered and then left the game with a sprained ankle.
Severino provide seven strong innings, in which he allowed three runs and five hits. Brett Gardner’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the ninth tied the score, 3-3, and allowed Severino avoid being slapped with a loss.
David Robertson retired Trout, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols in order in the ninth and was the winner. Aroldis Chapman recorded the final three outs for his fifth save.
Pujols, who needs five hits to reach 3,000, went 1-for-4 and scored in the seventh.
Ohtani left the game for pinchhitter Luis Valbuena in the seventh with a mild left ankle sprain. The Angels said the DH/pitcher is dayto-day. If Ohtani can’t DH on Saturday, the game will lose some luster since many are looking forward to seeing Masahiro Tanaka face Ohtani, who was hitless in 11 atbats against the Yankees’ righthander in Japan.
Yankees bench coach Josh Bard was ejected in the fourth by plate umpire Alan Porter after Aaron Judge struck out looking in the fourth. Judge went 0-for-5 and fanned four times. Each team had four batters called out on strikes.
A leadoff walk issued by Keynan Middleton to Gary Sanchez and a double by Miguel Andujar into the left-field corner with one out in the ninth preceded Gleyber Torres being walked intentionally to load the bases.
Gardner hit for Ronald Torreyes and his fly to left plated Sanchez to tie the score, 3-3.
With runners at first and second in the seventh, Valbuena whiffed in front of Severino throwing a wild pitch that advanced the runners to second and third for Simmons. He smoked a triple into the right-field corner that easily scored the runners and put the Angels ahead, 3-2.
Through six innings, the Angels didn’t get a hitter to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Ohtani’s solo homer in the second and Justin Upton’s one-out single in the fourth that was erased by a double play were the only hits given up by Severino. He retired seven straight before Trout opened the seventh with a line drive single to center.