Beltran's three-run homer lifts Yankees past Angels
NEW YORK -- Carlos Beltran hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the New York Yankees rallied for a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Monday night.
The Yankees had little going against Matt Shoemaker (3-7) through the first 6 2/3 innings as they struggled to hit his changeup. New York was finally able to connect on Shoemaker's changeup in a span of three pitches in the seventh.
Brian McCann drove a full-count pitch into a suite above the second deck in right field for the first run. Two pitches later, Starlin Castro drove a 1-0 pitch inside the left-field foul pole and into the second deck.
An inning later, the Yankees chased Shoemaker by getting consecutive singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner. On an 0-1 fastball from Jose Alvarez, Beltran drove a fly ball about two or three rows into the right-field seats.
It was Beltran's 14th home run and his fourth from the right side of the plate. It also was New York's first three-run home since Mark Teixeira on April 7 against Houston.
Masahiro Tanaka allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings for his eighth no-decision of the season. Andrew Miller (3-0) struck out Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to complete a hitless eighth.
Aroldis Chapman, whom manager Joe Girardi said was unavailable, pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Shoemaker allowed four runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out six without a walk, giving him 39 strikeouts since his last free pass.
Pujols had an RBI single in the first and Kole Calhoun lifted a sacrifice fly for the Angels, who have dropped 12 of their last 15 visits to New York.
The Angels took a 1-0 lead four batters into the game. Leadoff hitter Yunel Escobar singled on the first pitch, advanced on a fly ball by Calhoun and scored from second on a base hit by Pujols.
In the third, Los Angeles opened a 2-0 lead when Gregorio Petit doubled over Ellsbury's head in center field, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Escobar and trotted in on Calhoun's sacrifice fly to the warning track. Tanaka gave up consecutive walks to Trout and Pujols but got out of it by striking out C.J. Cron.
NOTES: Yankees LHP Aroldis Chapman was unavailable after pitching in consecutive outings. Chapman did not back up home plate on Baltimore C Matt Wieters' two-run single Sunday and manager Joe Girardi said he planned on discussing the matter with him. ... Angels SS Andrelton Simmons (left thumb) was slated to start a rehab assignment with Class A Inland Empire on Monday. Tuesday is four weeks after his surgery and it is possible he could be activated this weekend. ... Los Angeles LHP David Huff was named Tuesday's starter. RHP Nick Tropeano was originally schedule to start before going on the disabled list Saturday. ... New York INF/OF Rob Refsnyder said his Twitter account was hacked Monday morning, and although he described the hacker as "nice," he plans on having the intrusion investigated. "It's unfortunate," Refsnyder said. "I'm just trying to focus on playing first base tonight but yeah I'm sure I'll have some people looking into that."