Yankees at Angels
Eric Young Jr. is proving to be an able replacement for injured star Mike Trout, which is something no one imagined when the journeyman was recalled from the minors by the Los Angeles Angels on May 29. Young is batting .314 with three homers, nine RBIs and five stolen bases in 15 games with the Angels, who host the New York Yankees on Wednesday for the rubber match of their three-game series.
Trout (broken thumb) believes he could return from the disabled list before the All-Star break on July 11, but Young continues to make a case to stick with the Angels even after the reigning American League MVP returns. Young recorded a solo homer and a walkoff RBI single in the 11th inning of Tuesday’s 3-2 victory as Los Angeles snapped New York’s six-game winning streak. Reigning AL Player of the Week Aaron Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts for the Yankees, while Chase Headley led the offense with three hits, including a solo homer. Didi Gregorius doubled in the 11th inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games just before the Yankees suffered their first walkoff loss of the season.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, ESPN, YES (New York), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Michael Pineda (7-3, 3.39 ERA) vs. Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (6-3, 4.22)
Pineda bounced back from a rough outing against Toronto by allowing one unearned run over seven innings of a 9-1 victory over Boston on Thursday. The 28-year-old won for the fourth time in five starts and improved to 6-1 with a 1.96 ERA in seven home outings this season. Yunel Escobar is 7-for-18 with two home runs against Pineda, who is 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA in two career starts against the Angels.
Shoemaker won his second straight start on Friday, giving up four runs over seven innings in a 9-4 victory over Houston. After struggling in his first seven outings, the Michigan native has gone 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA and a 33-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last six turns. Shoemaker, who leads the Angels with 67 strikeouts, has gone 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees are 0-12 when scoring fewer than three runs.
2. The Angels recalled RHP Mike Morin and optioned RHP Brooks Pounders to Triple-A Salt Lake.
3. Yankees LHP CC Sabathia exited Tuesday’s game after four innings with a strained left hamstring and likely will require a stint on the disabled list.