Angels at Yankees
Alex Rodriguez edged closer to two of baseball’s most hallowed milestones on Friday, but his run at history almost became a footnote when the New York Yankees’ bullpen imploded. After nearly blowing a seven-run lead in the ninth inning in the series opener, the Yankees eye their fifth straight victory on Saturday when they continue a three-game home set against the Los Angeles Angels.
Rodriguez went 4-for-5 with a run-scoring single on Friday, allowing him
to break his tie with Barry Bonds (1,996) for the third-most RBIs in
major-league history while also leaving him nine hits shy of becoming
the 29th player to reach 3,000 career hits. However, New York needed all
eight runs it scored over the first seven innings as the bullpen was
slammed for six runs before Dellin Betances finally closed out a
marathon final frame by striking out Carlos Perez with the tying run on
third. The Angels suffered their third straight setback following a five-game winning streak and came up just short after
dropping their previous game in extra innings against Tampa Bay. Los
Angeles has faltered when it has mattered the most during its skid,
going 6-for-31 with runners in scoring position.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (5-3, 3.26 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Adam Warren (3-4, 3.75)
Richards
has alternated wins and losses over his last five outings, coming away
with the former following Monday’s 7-3 victory against Tampa Bay. The
27-year-old Oklahoma alum allowed three runs over six innings and has
lasted at least that long in each of his last eight turns after working five
frames in his season debut on April 19. Richards is 0-2 with a 4.29 ERA
in four all-time appearances (three starts) versus New York, but has
held the current group of Yankees’ hitters to a .098 batting average.
Warren
has been sharp over his last four turns, but has gone 1-3 despite a
2.70 ERA over that stretch because his offense has scored two or fewer
runs in three of the outings. The 27-year-old North Carolina native
settled for a hard-luck 3-0 loss Sunday in Oakland, yielding two runs on
six hits over a season-high tying seven frames. Warren, who will make
his first career start versus the Angels, has tossed 4 1/3 scoreless
innings in three relief appearances against Los Angeles.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rodriguez is 14-for-27 over his last seven home games.
2.
Despite going 0-for-4 on Friday, Los Angeles 1B Albert Pujols is
batting .350 with six homers and 11 RBI in the last 10 contests and
remains two home runs shy of tying Mickey Mantle (536) for 16th place
all-time.
3. Betances was charged with his first earned run Friday, ending his club-record streak of 26 appearances without an
earned run to begin a season.