Tagged: Brian Fuentes

Morales’ Eighth Inning Blast Powers Halos Over Yankees

Transmission of this report was delayed due to time constraints.


GAME 16
ANGELS 6, YANKEES 4

Kendry Morales connected with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning off reliever Joba Chamberlain as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the New York Yankees 6-4 on Friday night at Angels Stadium in Anahaim, CA.
Reliever Fernando Rodney (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get credit for the victory. Left-hander Brian Fuentes pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his second save of the season. Chamberlain (0-1) took the loss, only the second loss from a member of the Yankees bullpen this season.
The loss was also the first time this season the Yankees have lost two consecutive games. Their season record dropped to 11-5 and they are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the A.L. East. The Angels evened their record to 9-9 in the A.L. West.
YANKEE POSITIVES

  • Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter combined to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning when they hit back-to back doubles off Angels starter Ervin Santana. 
  • With two outs in the third inning, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
  • Nick Swisher connected on a fat 1-0 fastball off Santana in the fourth inning and registered his second home run of the season to tie the game at 4-4.
  • Though A.J. Burnett struggled with his command all night and had two bad innings, he did manage to pitch very well in other 4 1/3 innings he pitched. In those innings he faced 16 batters, retired 13 of them, gave up only two hits, walked one and hit a batter. 
  • Jorge Posada did something unusual for him when he catches against the aggressive Angels: He threw out Bobby Abreu attempting to steal in the seventh inning.
THE NEGATIVES

  • Burnett two bad innings were bad enough. In those two innings he gave up four runs on seven hits and a second hit batter. With a 3-2 lead and two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the third inning, in succession, he hit Kendry Morales with a pitch and gave up back-to-back RBI doubles to Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis.
  • Chamberlain simply did not have his usual command when he entered the game in the eighth inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Hideki Matsui and then surrendered the two-run home run to Morales that lost the game. Morales is 5-for-7 with two home runs off Chamberlain in his career.
  • Teixeira continues his month-long slide. He was 0-for-4 and his average dropped to .117. His worst at bat was in the fourth inning with two outs and Jeter at third and Nick Johnson at first. Teixeira struck out with his bat on his shoulder. The good news is May is just one week away. Hang in there, Mark!
  • Posada, who came in hitting .348, was also 0-for-4 and his average fell to .320.
  • The Yankee offense, as a whole, took a long siesta after Swisher’s solo home run tied it in the fourth inning. From that point on the Yankees managed just two hits, three walks and a hit batsman.
DIAMOND NOTES

Some Angels players and fans were angry with Teixeira for his collision with Angels catcher Bobby Wilson at home plate in the third inning. Wilson had to leave the game immediately for CT scans for a concussion and a left ankle injury. However, replays showed the throw from Bobby Abreu bounced up and Wilson moved back towards the plate when Teixeira collided with him. Teixeira had no idea the ball would carom off Wilson’s mask and properly tried to jar the ball loose. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said “It was a clean play. No doubt about it.”  . . .  Wilson’s CT scan for a concussion was negative and the results of the left ankle screening will be released later. Mike Napoli replaced Wilson behind the plate. The Angles recently lost starting catcher Jeff Mathis to a broken right wrist and he is on the 15-day disabled list and is expected to miss up to 6-8 weeks. Wilson was starting his first game of the season.  . . .  It was it little off-putting that Angels broadcasters Victor Rojas and Mark Gubicza seemed to be implying that the four hit batsman (two for each side) could have been deliberate. Considering that Burnett and Santana combined to give up eight earned runs on 12 hits and five walks, I would think that both pitchers’ lack of command were evidence in itself they were not trying to hit anyone. With the erratic command Burnett had on Friday he likely would have missed if he tried to hit a batter.  . . .  Chan Ho Park’s right hamstring is not responding to treatment as quickly as the Yankees would like and they will send the veteran right-hander to Tampa, FL after the series with the Angels concludes on Sunday. Park was placed on the disabled list April 16 and he was scheduled to throw a bullpen session in Baltimore on Tuesday. But, Park instead requested he be sent to Tampa to work out in warmer weather.  . . .  In the wake of Dallas Braden’s diatribe against Alex Rodriguez for breaking an unwritten “rule” of running over the pitcher’s mound in Oakland on Thursday, Braden said Rodriguez “should take note from his captain.” However, Jeter squarely stands behind Rodriguez. As for the so-called rule about running over the mound, Jeter said “I never heard that.” He also said Braden’s statements were “out there.” When asked about the controversy again on Friday, Rodriguez refused to comment further.