Yankees Struggled in Loss to Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Elmer Rodríguez’s first four major league starts were, well, not the best—quite similar in their lack of effectiveness. Yet, he seemed to shine in his last outing, perhaps suggesting he had turned a corner during his time in Triple-A. But then came Monday, and he faltered again, with many of his teammates by his side.
Rodríguez ended up walking three batters, hitting two, and allowing four runs over 3 ²/₃ innings, contributing to the Yankees’ overall poor performance in a 10-1 loss to the Angels, a team that had been sharing the bottom spot in the league standings.
“It was obviously a rough one for us,” manager Aaron Boone acknowledged. “It’s a good reminder that in this league, you have to play well, or you’ll pay the price.”
After a thrilling series victory against the Red Sox, where they played four games in three days and then flew across the country Sunday night, the Yankees (78-60) came out flat. They seemed lethargic in every aspect during this uninspired game.
“That’s just an excuse. It’s an excuse,” Boone reflected. “We’ve been struggling, and we know we need to perform. We were prepared today, but we just didn’t play well.”
The loss was disappointing as it meant they missed an opportunity to gain ground on the Rays, trailing now by 4 ¹/₂ games in the division, while the Red Sox closed the gap to three games behind the Yankees for the top AL wild card spot.
Any chance for a Yankees comeback evaporated thanks to three errors in the late innings, including two committed by José Caballero on a single play.
Interestingly, Rodríguez had arrived early in Los Angeles on Sunday, aiming for a restful night, but it didn’t seem to help. Following a solid performance against the Astros last week, he was inefficient this time, needing 91 pitches to secure just 11 outs, with his velocity and control both diminishing as the game progressed.
“I kept falling behind hitters,” Rodríguez noted. “When I got ahead, I felt like I was able to execute my pitches and get my outs.”
Relief pitchers Michael Fulmer, Luis Gil (making his first career relief appearance), and David Bednar each allowed runs, causing the game to spiral out of control.
Despite having scored 25 runs in their previous two games against the Red Sox, the Yankees struggled to convert early contact against the Angels’ pitcher, Walbert Ureña, before he found his rhythm. They missed a key opportunity in the first inning when Trent Grisham, who was moved down the batting order, struck out to end a promising inning.
The Yankees managed only one run in seven innings against Ureña, with Spencer Jones hitting a home run in the fifth being their sole highlight. Rodríguez struggled with control, issuing a walk in each of the first three innings, the last of which contributed to the Angels’ first run scored by Vaughn Grissom.
In the fourth inning, Rodríguez faced further troubles, hitting ex-Yankee Oswald Peraza and Tyler Heineman in consecutive at-bats, setting up a 4-0 lead for the Angels following singles by Zach Neto and Mike Trout.
Fulmer struggled in the fifth, giving up two runs during an inning that featured an unfortunate series of events, including a failed sliding catch from Jones that allowed a run to score. An errant throw during an attempted pick-off added to the chaos, letting another run cross home plate.
Later, Caballero compounded errors with two mistakes on a single play in the sixth, first skipping a grounder that could have been a double play and then failing to reach first base with a shaky throw, leading to a 7-1 score.
“We made a few mistakes, including me,” Caballero admitted. “We’ve got to clean it up and play better.”
