Luis Gil played with fire in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday night and survived.
Will Warren played with fire and got himself set on fire in his nightcap.
So the Yankees split the two games, winning 5-2 in Game 1 behind five scoreless innings from Gill, and winning 8-2 in Game 2 when the Angels selected Warren. It was a rainy, cool day in the Bronx.
After a long, damp day of baseball, much of it struggle, the Yankees (68-47) finished the night tied with the Orioles for first place in the American League East.
Warren made a strong MLB debut last week against the Phillies and was called back up as the 27th hitter for Wednesday’s doubleheader after sitting out Tuesday’s game.
But Warren, taking the mound for the first time at Yankee Stadium, was outplayed by the Angels (50-64), giving up eight hits, three walks and eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto was the game’s biggest scorer, hitting a grand slam in the six-run second inning and a two-run double in the fourth.
Neto also hit a two-run homer off relief pitcher Jake Cousins in Game 1, the only two runs the Angels scored in the opening game of the season.
Warren nearly ended the second inning with just one run on home plate.
He allowed one run, loaded the bases, then struck out consecutive batters as the Angels’ lineup rallied.
But then he walked leadoff hitter Nolan Chanuel on four pitches to add another run, and then Neto hit a grand slam.
DJ LeMahieu led the Yankees to two runs, one on a single and the other on a double, but that was all they could muster in the nightcap.
