Cessa wins first major league start as Yankees defeat Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right-hander Luis Cessa, in his first major league start, pitched six-plus shutout innings to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 44,129 at Angel Stadium.
By giving the Angels their 14th loss in 16 games, the Yankees moved within four games of the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the American League's second wild-card spot.
Cessa (3-0) conceded just three hits, one walk and one hit batter while amassing five strikeouts and inducing eight groundouts in six-plus innings. The 24-year-old Mexican rookie, who made his major league debut April 8, pitched in relief eight times before getting the start.
Brian McCann and Aaron Judge drove in two runs apiece and Gary Sanchez added his sixth home run in the past nine days for New York.
Albert Pujols moved into the top 10 in career home runs and gave Los Angeles its only run with a solo drive in the bottom of the ninth inning. Pujols sent a 96 mph fastball from Dellin Betances down the left-field line for his 23th homer of the season and the 583rd of his career.
Pujols thus tied Mark McGwire for 10th place in career home runs. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson holds ninth place with 586.
But the Angels had a chance to break the shutout in the bottom of the seventh. With Jefry Marte at first base, C.J. Cron hit a long fly ball down the left-field line that had the distance to be a home run.
But left fielder Brett Gardner sprinted from left-center field and made a leaping, one-handed catch while leaning backward into the stands at the short fence near the bullpen. Gardner balanced himself on his tailbone to prevent himself from falling into the front rows.
Right-hander Ricky Nolasco suffered his fourth successive loss despite retiring 12 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings and not relinquishing a walk. Nolasco (4-11) allowed five runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, collected five strikeouts and threw a season-high 110 pitches.
The veteran has not won since July 18, two weeks before the Minnesota Twins sent him to Los Angeles in a four-player trade for left-hander Hector Santiago.
The Yankees pounced on Nolasco for three runs in the first inning. With two out, Sanchez propelled Nolasco's 81 mph slider down the left-field line for his sixth home run of the season, all in the past nine games.
Didi Gregorius followed with a single to right field. Starlin Castro then hit a double down the left-field line to send Gregorius to third base. McCann drove both runners home with a single to right.
Cessa retired the first eight batters he faced before the Angels brought Mike Trout to the plate as the potential tying run in the third.
Gregorio Petit lofted a single to center field with two out, then Kole Calhoun hit an infield single. Gregorius at shortstop dived on the ball in the hole but had no chance to make a play. Trout followed with a ground ball that Gregorius charged before throwing on the run to retire Trout.
Nolasco retired 12 successive batters before New York added two runs in the sixth. Castro hit a two-out single up the middle, then McCann followed suit to send Castro to third base. After McCann stole second, Judge hit a two-run single to right.
Judge's single generated the chant, "Let's go, Yankees" from the sizeable contingent of fans rooting for the visitors.
NOTES: The Angels placed 3B Yunel Escobar on the seven-day disabled list for concussions and designated 2B Johnny Giavotella for assignment. ... The Angels also activated 1B C.J. Cron from the disabled list and recalled INF Kaleb Cowart from Triple-A Salt Lake. ... Angels RHP Garrett Richards played catch from 60 feet Friday and reported no problems. Richards, out since May 1 after tearing his right ulnar collateral ligament, hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery by using stem-cell therapy. ... Former Angels OF Garret Anderson was inducted into the team's hall of fame before the game. Anderson played for the Angels from 1994-2008, leads the club in eight career categories and got the winning hit -- a bases-loaded double -- in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. ... Yankees RHP Nathan Eovaldi had Tommy John surgery for the second time Friday. Eovaldi underwent the procedure eight years ago as a high school student. ... Yankees 3B Chase Headley missed the opening lineup for the second consecutive game because of Achilles tendinitis. ... New York pitchers lead the American League with 1,070 strikeouts entering Saturday night's game.