Yankees 3, Angels 2: Tanaka, offense not their best, Yankees win anyway

Masahiro Tanaka did not have his best stuff tonight. He walked four people and allowed five hits, yet almost every time he got into trouble, he got out of it. He struck out eleven Angels and kept the Yankees in it long enough for the offense to push a few runs across. The Yankees' offense managed just three hits, but thanks to Tanaka and some Angels' mishaps, those three hits were enough and got the Yankees a 3-2 win.

Tanaka had gotten into and escaped trouble a couple times early in the game, but the Angels eventually got a run home in the fourth. Erick Aybar led off the inning for the Angels with a double. After striking out David Freese, Tanaka hit Ian Stewart with a pitch. Chris Iannetta then drew a walk (Tanaka's fourth of the night) to load the bases. J.B. Shuck came up next and he grounded a ball to Brian Roberts. Roberts got the force out at second, but that was all they could get and a run scored. Tanaka then came back to strike out Collin Cowgill to end the inning and minimize the damage.

The Yankees struggled to get much of anything going against Garrett Richards, but they finally pushed a run across in the fifth inning. Mark Teixeira drew a lead-off walk, bringing Brian Roberts to the plate. Roberts doubled down the left field line, moving Teixeira to third. Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to short, but with the infield back, Teixiera was able to score on the play, tying the game at one.

The Angels came right back to retake the lead when Freese led off the sixth with a home run. Tanaka was able to get the next three outs relatively easily, but the Angels now led once again.

Tanaka came back out to start the seventh, but was pulled after striking out Cowgill. Tanaka had far from his best stuff, but still had a pretty decent day. He went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out eleven. Adam Warren came in and immediately allowed a single to Mike Trout. With Albert Pujols at the plate, Warren avoided the Angels adding an insurance run by getting Pujols to ground into a double play.

Saving that run would be huge when Teixeira led off the bottom of the seventh with a monster home run into the second deck. The Yankees hit a couple more flyballs pretty deep, but they stayed in the park and the game stayed tied.

After Warren threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning, the Yankees took their first lead of the game thanks to some Angels' silliness. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a walk to lead off the inning. After Derek Jeter struck out, Carlos Beltran drew another walk. After the Beltran walk, the Angels brough reliever Nick Maronde into the game. With Brian McCann at the plate, Iannetta let a pitch get past him, allowing Ellsbury and Beltran to move to second and third. A couple pitches later, Maronde threw a wild pitch, allowing Ellsbury to score and give the Yankees the lead. And then after that, McCann got hit by a pitch, which was originally ruled ball three, but was overturned after a review. But after that, the Yankees would let the Angels off the hook when Alfonso Soriano grounded into a double play.

David Robertson was brought in for the ninth to try and finish the game off. Robertson got off to a good start when he struck out Stewart. It then got a little scary when Iannetta drew a one-out walk (umpire gave two very close potential strike thees as balls, but hey). Robertson then got Shuck to ground one to second for out number two. That left the game up to the go ahead run at the plate, who would be pinch hitter Raul Ibanez. Our old friend Raul could not get anything done, as Robertson struck him out to end the game. The Yankees came away with a 3-2 win and a series win over the Angels.

The Yankees get the day off tomorrow before the Mariners and a certain second baseman come to the Bronx for a series starting Tuesday. Should be "fun".

Box score.