Halos Held Helpless

The New York Yankees held on to best the California Angels of Anaheim in a showdown struggle for AL East supremacy Wednesday. New York has beaten the home team twice in the last two days using a dose of Anaheim’s own medicine. The back-to-back one run victories are being endorsed by fans who enjoy watching the Yankees play small ball. The Bombers won 3-2 yesterday, a night after their come-from-behind 6-5 scuffle at Angels Stadium. The team could clinch the AL East title this weekend, with an emphatic statement against the Red Sox at home. Right now, New York is proving they are the team to beat, backed by a solid lineup and defense and clutch hitting.
The resilient bombers started A.J. Burnett yesterday afternoon. Burnett went 5 2/3 innings, struck out 11 batters and gave up two runs. He left the game with the lead before turning it over to the bullpen, led by a crop of relievers, Ian Kennedy, Damaso Marte, Jonathan Albaladejo, Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera. Rivera threw blazing fastballs in the ninth to preserve the victory and send New York home with a 2-1 series win. Scott Kazmir pitched well for the Angels over six innings. Kazmir has only registered one win in five of his last tries for the California club. Kazmir allowed five straight Bombers to reach base in a decisive fourth frame. In the fourth, New York scored all three of their tallies on four hits. Second baseman, Robinson Cano, got the Yankees on board with a two-run single, and Melky Cabrera provided a one-run double.
The Angels did their scoring in the bottom of the fifth and sixth off Burnett. A.J. yielded two hits in each of the innings Anaheim crossed the plate. Chone Figgins, the third base leadoff man, had three hits, including a double. Former Yankee, Bobby Abreau, and right-fielder, Gary Matthews, Jr., contributed the RBIs for the home Halos.
The Bombers had not won a series in So Cal since 2004 prior to this week. Anaheim’s inability to drive in runs was the main factor in determining the victor Wednesday. Exhaustion probably played a role for the Angels because the bats looked sluggish after playing 40 games in the last 41 days. The Halos were fanned a season-high fifteen times as their offense was virtually rendered a non-factor. The athletic club walked away with a one run loss after stranding 10 runners in scoring position. Despite scoring their initial run in the fifth, Anaheim left a baserunner standing on third as Burnett stingily closed out the inning. They left runners on first and second in the sixth, and one more on third in the seventh frame. The Angels came close to tying the score or taking the lead in the eighth with Kennedy on the mound. Howie Kendrick was hit by a pitch and Matthews, Jr. drew a pass on a full count to advance the runner. Pinch hitter, Caesar Izturis, struck out before Kennedy issued his second walk to Figgins. The reliever induced a fly ball off the bat of Eric Aybar for the third out and the Angels came up empty in the eighth. Rivera struck out the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the ninth, and got his namesake, Juan Rivera, to pop up to end the game.
Rivera now has 42 saves in 2009. Burnett pitched exceptionally well through the first four innings and finished with 11 strikeouts total. He had pinpoint control, and Joe Girardi did not micromanage the bullpen, but used his staff appropriately. It was a little scary for Kennedy because he hasn’t pitched in so long. I was not sure what to expect from the young hurler in his return to the mound on the road with a small lead. Kendrick whiffed three times for the Halos, and first baseman, Kendry Morales, was fanned four out of the five times he stepped to the plate. The Angels did display decent defense during the contest. Mark Teixeria tried to score in the fourth inning on a Shelley Duncan line drive to the outfield, but was nailed at the plate by Rivera’s strong throw from left. Tuesday night, the Yankees snapped the Angels’ five game winning streak against New York. The teams could face each other next month for the pennant. Will the Yankees be the ones to continue their recent streak, or will Anaheim find a way to bounce back?

Parting Points: “I’m in love. I’m all shook up”- Elvis
Too bad about Wayne Gretzky stepping down as Coyotes coach, but he really did not have success in four seasons behind the bench.