ANOTHER POWER OUTAGE IN ANAHEIM
Yankees offense continues to sputter against Angels pitching




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
April 9, 2006

ANAHEIM, CA – Ervin Santana out-dueled Randy Johnson in a rematch from last year’s division series by allowing one run over 5-1/3 innings, as the Angels hung on for a 3-2 win over the visiting New York Yankees. Johnson was handed his first loss of the season.

The night started well for the Yankees and their fans when with one out Derek Jeter homered over the left-center field wall to stake the Bombers to a 1-0 lead.

That was about the only mistake Santana made the rest of the night.

In the bottom of the first the Angels struck back when Orlando Cabrera singled with one out and stole second on a botched hit and run when Garret Anderson struck out. Vladimir Guerrero, who received his Silver Slugger award as the best hitter in the American League at the outfield position, singled in Cabrera to even the score at one.



Johnson and Santana traded zeros for the next three innings, but in the bottom of the fifth inning the Angels struck once again. Center fielder Juan Rivera led off the inning with a single. Johnson then struck out DH Tim Salmon and catcher Jose Molina. First baseman Robb Quinlan singled to set up a first and second situation with two outs. The Halos ninth batter, Adam Kennedy, hit a triple into deep right field scoring Rivera and Quinlan to make the 3-1. Johnson got Chone Figgins to ground out to end the inning.

Santana returned to the mound in the sixth inning. He got Yankees leadoff hitter Johnny Damon to ground out to second before Jeter got safely to first when Figgins had to range to his left to knock down Jeter’s ground ball into the hole. Figgins spun and made an errant throw to first base, which Quinlan couldn’t handle. Gary Sheffield got off the hitless list by lining a solid off the leg of Santana to set up runners at first and second.

Alex Rodriguez came to the plate and promptly grounded out to Santana, which allowed Jeter and Sheffield to move up ninety feet. Umpire Joe West, calling balls and strikes behind the plate, became involved in another controversy when Jason Giambi stepped in to face Santana. Giambi worked the count to 3-2 and then walked when West called a pitch, which replays showed to be a strike, ball four. West was embroiled in a call the night before when he ruled Alex Rodriguez was safe at first base when he said first baseman Casey Kotchman’s foot came off the bag on a throw by Orlando Cabrera. Replays on that call showed Kotchman’s foot was on the bag when he caught Cabrera’s throw.

With the bases loaded manager Mike Scioscia pulled Santana in favor of reliever J.C. Romero. Romero kept the Yankees off the scoreboard by getting Hideki Matsui to pop out to shallow center field for the third out of the inning.

Johnson pitched a scoreless sixth, seventh and eighth innings, keeping his punchless team close to the Angels. In the meantime the Angels bullpen kept the Yankees quiet by posting scoreless seventh and eighth innings.

The Yankees came up in the ninth inning to face closer Frankie Rodriguez. Rodriguez got Giambi to ground out before challenging Hideki Matsui. Matsui hit his third home run of the season into the right field seats before Rodriguez closed out the Yankees for his twenty-first consecutive save, which is a new Los Angeles Angels record.

Santana is now 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA versus New York. For the Yankees it was another exercise in futility at the plate as they only managed to collect five hits. Only Sheffield had a multiple hit night. Once again the 3-4-5 hitters failed to knock in any runs. Rodriguez remains hitless in the series.

The question begs why is Jason Giambi, who only hitting an anemic .125, batting in front of Hideki Matsui, who is batting .400? It has become a painful, irritating and yet all-to-familiar sight to watch these same Yankees game in and game out continually struggle in all facets of their game against the Angels. This team has been built to specifically score runs, but when they face the Angels, whether at home or in Anaheim, the Yankees disappear like Houdini.

No matter what Joe Torre says the boys from Anaheim are in the heads of his players. There is some sort of mental block that keeps them from swinging the bats and scoring runs. I don’t know if Sigmund Freud could figure this situation out.

The Yankees and Angels will close out their series today as the Halos look for the sweep. Game time is 3:35 EDT. The Yankees will fly home after the game to get ready to face the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Note: With tonight’s save Frankie Rodriguez has collected three for the year, but Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has not made an appearance in New York’s first five games.



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