The Angels returned to LA and after the Yankees put up a quick 1-0 lead in the first, they answered back with 12 runs on 13 hits for the first win of the series. Their magic number now stands at two.
Garret Anderson, Vlad, and Sean Rodriguez each had two hits apiece while Brandon Wood went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. A sac fly by Teixeira in the first tied it at 1-1 before Wood blasted a solo go-ahead homerun in the third. The Angels then blew the game open with six runs in the sixth inning, keyed by a solo homerun by Rodriguez and a two-run shot by Vlad. Wood then chipped in again with a two-run single. They added three more the next inning on Vlad’s RBI-double and Matthews’ two-RBI single before Wood knocked his second dinger of the game, a solo shot in the eighth, for his first career multi-homerun game. Matthews first AB came in the seventh when he replaced Torii Hunter, who was ejected in the Angels’ big sixth inning after being tagged out by Pudge Rodriguez at home…both benches cleared for the rumble but just Hunter and Pudge got the axe for the game.
Jon Garland earned lucky win #13. After giving up an RBI single to A-Rod in the first, he was backed by the offense and left after seven with an 11-1 lead. Newcomer Kevin Jepsen and Darren O’Day each tossed an inning, with Jepsen going 1-2-3 in his big league debut.
The Angels look to keep their hot offense going by backing up Ervin Santana in tomorrow’s game. Santana went 7 1/3 with one run in his last outing and is 5-1 in six starts against the Yanks. Alfredo Aceves will make his big league debut as a starter for the Yankees.
