Yankees 6, Angels 2
NEW YORK -- Left-hander CC Sabathia pitched six effective innings before being ejected for arguing balls and strikes after the sixth as the New York Yankees stretched their season-high winning streak to six games with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Sunday.
Sabathia (3-7) allowed two runs and five hits, and his frustration boiled over after getting right fielder Kole Calhoun on an inning-ending double play. He disagreed with plate umpire Dan Bellino's call on the previous pitch and walked off the mound gesturing toward Bellino.
Third baseman Chase Headley tried to hold back Sabathia, but the argument continued and Bellino ejected Sabathia after a profanity. Manager Joe Girardi raced out of the dugout, kicked dirt on Bellino and was ejected, and Sabathia continued the argument before catcher John Ryan-Murphy and bench coach Rob Thomson helped get him off the field.
It was Sabathia's third career ejection and first since Chris Guccione tossed him July 21, 2006, in Cleveland in the fourth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins. His other ejection was July 4, 2003, in Minnesota by Bill Hohn for being involved in a benches-clearing brawl.
Long before the ejection, Sabathia allowed solo home runs to center fielder Mike Trout and designated hitter Albert Pujols in a span of three pitches with one out in the first.
Trout's home run came on a full-count sinker one pitch after Sabathia did not get a close called strike three call by plate Bellino. Two pitches later, Pujols drove a 1-0 curveball into the left-field seats for his 535th home run, moving to within one of Mickey Mantle for 16th all-time.
Aside from the ejection it was a good day for Sabathia, who settled down after the home runs. He struck out seven, walked one and threw 50 of 87 pitches for strikes.
Sabathia didn't get the lead until the Yankees scored four runs in the fifth off left-hander C.J. Wilson (3-5).
After getting an RBI groundout by shortstop Didi Gregorius in the third, left fielder Chris Young opened the fifth with his seventh homer of the season, and center fielder Brett Gardner sent a 2-0 fastball into the right-field seats for a three-run home run that made it 5-2.
New York added an insurance run in the seventh on second baseman Jose Pirela's first career home run.
Wilson allowed six runs and seven hits in seven innings as the Angels dropped their season-high fifth straight and were swept in New York for the first time since Aug. 29-31, 1995.
NOTES: The Angels recalled RHP Drew Rucinski to give them a fresh arm after relievers pitched 11 innings in the first two games in New York and 19 in the previous four games. ... LF Matt Joyce started despite having one hit in 10 at-bats against left-handed pitching, and it was a move out of necessity since the Angels have nobody else for left field after optioning Grant Green following Saturday's game. ... New York OF Jacoby Ellsbury (sprained right knee) continued running and swinging. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he was meeting with GM Brian Cashman after the game to discuss if INF Brendan Ryan is ready to return from a strained right calf that has sidelined him all season. ... New York INF Gregorio Petit (right hand contusion) will start a rehab assignment Monday for Class A Tampa in the same game that RHP Ivan Nova is pitching.