A-Rod’s four hits, Drew’s two homers give Yanks cushion against Angels’ rally
NEWYORK— Holding a seven-run lead, needing only to get the final three outs and with the Los Angeles Angels having pulled Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, the New York Yankees never expected to be discussing escaping or getting a game-saving defensive play.
Instead, they anticipated discussing designated hitter Alex Rodriguez’s four-hit night that moved him within nine of 3,000 or second baseman Stephen Drew’s third career multi-home run game.
They wound up talking about those hits but also about escaping the top of the ninth inning when Esmil Rogers and Dellin Betances combined to allow six runs before the Yankees held on for an 8-7 victory over the Angels.
“Just get an out, they did a good job and we have to do a better job in that ninth inning,” New York manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s not for lack of effort, it just sometimes happens and that’s how you see big rallies. We just had a hard time getting that first out.”
Rogers allowed five of those runs, losing focus when a pop-up by Grant Green fell in between first baseman Chase Headley and second baseman Jose Pirela and drove in the Angels’ second run. After that miscue, the Angels scored on an RBI single by Kole Calhoun that knocked out Rogers and a two-run base hit by David Freese.
Betances, who struggled with his command, allowed a bases-loaded walk to Chris Iannetta before getting the first out. He got the second out when Johnny Giavotella grounded into a force play that scored a run but also saw shortstop Didi Gregorius make a nice play to get the force at second.
“If Didi didn’t make that play, I feel like I’d still be throwing pitches out there,” Betances said. “He did a helluva job on that play, and thank God we won that game.”
That made it a one-run game, and the Angels appeared to be on the verge of pulling off the comeback when pinch hitter Carlos Perez batted for Green in Trout’s spot. Betances finally got out of it by getting the strikeout and was credited with his second save.
“That got a little bit too dicey,” Rodriguez said. “I still have a headache from it, but it was nice to get the win.”
New York won its fourth straight and eighth in 11 games. Through eight it seemed like a routine victory.
Rodriguez had his first four-hit game since May 22, 2011, against the New York Mets. His second hit was a run-scoring single in the fifth inning that also was his 1,997th RBI, which broke a tie with Barry Bonds for second place on the all-time list.
Drew hit a two-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the sixth off Angels right-hander Jered Weaver (4-5).
Mark Teixeira also hit a two-run homer for the Yankees.
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