Whereas Oakland is a west coast destination the Yankees thrive in, Anaheim has been a place where they go to be massacred. Since 1996 overall, and specifically starting in 2002, Mike Scioscia and his Angels club have been slaughtering the Yanks on both coasts.


Although the Yanks took 2 out of 3 earlier in the season with the Stadium home opener, the weather is warmer now, Pujols has started hitting finally, and the Angels were throwing their top three starters: Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana. With Jared Weaver already had tossed a no-hitter this season and is one who usually shuts the Yankees down, things weren't looking too good with the onset. That is, of course, until the Yankees caught a break. Weaver injured his back while on the mound and had to be removed from the game. Then with the help a number of unlikely errors by the Angels, the Yanks were able to grab an early 3-0 lead in the 1st and things were really looking up!!

Unfortunately for the Yankees, Phil Hughes wasn't able to grasp hold of the gift he was given and managed to flush the lead down the toilet by surrendering 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st to swing it in favor of the Angels 4-3. Hughes was atrocious and was charged with 7 earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. With his past few starts being more productive against weaker-hitting teams, the up and down of Hughes is turning him into the team's next A.J. Burnett.

To the offense's credit, the Yankee bats battled back all night and even tied the score 8-8 thanks to a huge hit by Russell Martin. In the top of the 9th, Derek Jeter had a chance to put the Yanks ahead with the bases loaded and 2 outs, but anytime the bases are loaded this season, the Yanks can't get a hit, and this night was no different as Jeter grounded out. Cory Wade was inserted in the bottom of the 9th and he served up the 9-8 game-winning homer to Mark Trumbo, who would go on to kill the Yankees all series with homers in each game.

Trying to bounce back after a tough loss, the Yankees sent their crafty veteran Andy Pettitte to the mound against Angels hard-thrower Dan Haren. Pettitte had been marvelous in his return in 2012, but on this night he had the worst performance of all his starts. Both Trumbo and Pujols went deep on Pettitte as he was responsible for 5 runs in his 7 innings of work. Dan Haren was untouchable with only giving up one measly run in 7 innings while striking out 7 Yankees. In the top of the 9th, the Yanks did load the bases with a 5-1 deficit and Cano at the plate to be able to tie the game with one swing, but Cano struck out pathetically on just three pitches to end the game.

Look at another miserable stay in Anaheim and the prospect of getting swept by the Angels, the Yankees turned to the young man who had been winning important games for the past two seasons, Ivan Nova. Just like the first game, the Yankees grabbed a 5-1 lead thanks to huge blasts by Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano off of Ervin Santana, who had lost his 5 previous starts against the bombers. But then just like Hughes in the first game, Nova blew the lead immediately after and the Angels had tied the game at 5-5 (highlighted by yet another Mark Trumbo homer). One of the biggest unsung heroes of 2012 for the Yankees, lefthanded hitting Raul Ibanez, managed a triple off the wall in center off lefty-reliever Hisanori Takahashi. With Ibanez at 3rd with only one out, amazingly, the Yankees executed a sacrifice fly at the hands of Nick Swisher to take the 6-5 lead.

Nova was able to settle down and paced his way through 6.2 innings of work and witnessed Cory Wade making amends for the other night by striking out Howie Kendrick in a huge spot with the tying run on 3rd. Wade came back in the 8th to breeze through the next three hitters, which set up the drama in the 9th. Rafael Soriano, in his biggest save situation of the season so far since taking the job, was up against (of course) Yankee-killing Mark Trumbo with the tying run at 2nd base and two outs. Luckily, Soriano was able to break Trumbo's bat which cased a weak flyout to left, giving Soriano the green-light to untuck his shirt for the 6-5 victory.



With a 4-2 west coast swing under their belt and on their way to Detroit with a 27-23 record, the flight couldn't have been all that good as news of reliever David Robertson's return has been pushed back to mid-June the earliest thanks to a new rib cage injury. To combat this unfortunate development, Brian Cashman picked up a real nobody off the scrap heap in Ryota Igarashi, because the Yankees always have success with Japanese pitchers.....
Although the Yanks took 2 out of 3 earlier in the season with the Stadium home opener, the weather is warmer now, Pujols has started hitting finally, and the Angels were throwing their top three starters: Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana. With Jared Weaver already had tossed a no-hitter this season and is one who usually shuts the Yankees down, things weren't looking too good with the onset. That is, of course, until the Yankees caught a break. Weaver injured his back while on the mound and had to be removed from the game. Then with the help a number of unlikely errors by the Angels, the Yanks were able to grab an early 3-0 lead in the 1st and things were really looking up!!
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Phil Hughes wasn't able to grasp hold of the gift he was given and managed to flush the lead down the toilet by surrendering 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st to swing it in favor of the Angels 4-3. Hughes was atrocious and was charged with 7 earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. With his past few starts being more productive against weaker-hitting teams, the up and down of Hughes is turning him into the team's next A.J. Burnett.
To the offense's credit, the Yankee bats battled back all night and even tied the score 8-8 thanks to a huge hit by Russell Martin. In the top of the 9th, Derek Jeter had a chance to put the Yanks ahead with the bases loaded and 2 outs, but anytime the bases are loaded this season, the Yanks can't get a hit, and this night was no different as Jeter grounded out. Cory Wade was inserted in the bottom of the 9th and he served up the 9-8 game-winning homer to Mark Trumbo, who would go on to kill the Yankees all series with homers in each game.
Trying to bounce back after a tough loss, the Yankees sent their crafty veteran Andy Pettitte to the mound against Angels hard-thrower Dan Haren. Pettitte had been marvelous in his return in 2012, but on this night he had the worst performance of all his starts. Both Trumbo and Pujols went deep on Pettitte as he was responsible for 5 runs in his 7 innings of work. Dan Haren was untouchable with only giving up one measly run in 7 innings while striking out 7 Yankees. In the top of the 9th, the Yanks did load the bases with a 5-1 deficit and Cano at the plate to be able to tie the game with one swing, but Cano struck out pathetically on just three pitches to end the game.
Look at another miserable stay in Anaheim and the prospect of getting swept by the Angels, the Yankees turned to the young man who had been winning important games for the past two seasons, Ivan Nova. Just like the first game, the Yankees grabbed a 5-1 lead thanks to huge blasts by Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano off of Ervin Santana, who had lost his 5 previous starts against the bombers. But then just like Hughes in the first game, Nova blew the lead immediately after and the Angels had tied the game at 5-5 (highlighted by yet another Mark Trumbo homer). One of the biggest unsung heroes of 2012 for the Yankees, lefthanded hitting Raul Ibanez, managed a triple off the wall in center off lefty-reliever Hisanori Takahashi. With Ibanez at 3rd with only one out, amazingly, the Yankees executed a sacrifice fly at the hands of Nick Swisher to take the 6-5 lead.
Nova was able to settle down and paced his way through 6.2 innings of work and witnessed Cory Wade making amends for the other night by striking out Howie Kendrick in a huge spot with the tying run on 3rd. Wade came back in the 8th to breeze through the next three hitters, which set up the drama in the 9th. Rafael Soriano, in his biggest save situation of the season so far since taking the job, was up against (of course) Yankee-killing Mark Trumbo with the tying run at 2nd base and two outs. Luckily, Soriano was able to break Trumbo's bat which cased a weak flyout to left, giving Soriano the green-light to untuck his shirt for the 6-5 victory.
With a 4-2 west coast swing under their belt and on their way to Detroit with a 27-23 record, the flight couldn't have been all that good as news of reliever David Robertson's return has been pushed back to mid-June the earliest thanks to a new rib cage injury. To combat this unfortunate development, Brian Cashman picked up a real nobody off the scrap heap in Ryota Igarashi, because the Yankees always have success with Japanese pitchers.....