By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, AUGUST 15- Yankee batters found the pitching of the Los Angeles Angels very congenial for the second straight night. After edging L.A., 2-1, in an impressive pitching duel on Monday night, Yankee batters found open spaces to place the baseball on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Yanks produced a season high of 19 hits and tied a contest on April 9 with 14 runs scored. The two double figure run totals in consecutive games of Tuesday and Wednesday were only previously done in 2013 on April 8 and 9.
The offensive onslaught began in the first inning on Wednesday. After the first two batters were retired, Robinson Cano singled. Alex Rodriguez doubled and Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases. Alfonso Soriano, Monday’s hero with two home runs and six RBI, blasted a Grand Slam into the centerfield stands to give the Yanks a 4-0 advantage.
The Yanks equaled their first inning success in the following frame. The same contributors from inning #1 participated in the second rally. Cano drove in the first run of the frame with a single. A-Rod walked and later scored. Granderson knocked in the next run with a single. Soriano’s two-run double equaled his previous game’s six RBI.
Sorano’s power output for the night had not yet ended as the veteran outfielder led off the fifth with his second four bagger of the night, his 24th of 2013. He reached a new single game career high with 7 RBI and achieved consecutive multi-home run games for the third time in his career.
After the game, Granderson, who had two hits, remarked, “It’s pretty amazing. Every time he [Soriano] comes up there, you expect something to happen.”
Jered Weaver, the Angels starter, departed after five innings. The nine runs he yielded far exceeded his previous 2013 high of five runs, also given up to the Yankees. Weaver has not fared well in the current Yankee Stadium. He began the game with a 6.20 ERA in that ballpark.
After the contest, he stated, “I came out flat tonight. Those guys [Yanks] came out swinging.” Of Soraino, who hit two homers off him, he said, “he’s swinging the bat real well. He looks at home and comfortable.”
The last two runs for the Yankees came via a two run single by catcher Chris Stewart in the seventh that scored Granderson and Soriano.
Mike Trout of the Angels feasts on Yankees pitching. Reaching his 22nd birthday only one week before Wednesday’s game, Trout celebrated with RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. The hits raised his batting average against New York to .386 (22 for 57). He has a 12 game hit streak against the Yanks.
The two singles raised his major league leading multi-hit games to 47. The game was also Trout’s 36th consecutive in which he reached base by walk or hit.
The four game winning streak for the Yanks is their highest since the first week of July when they were victorious in six consecutive contests.
The Yanks will try to sweep the four game set in a matinee on Thursday. Phil Hughes (4-11), winless in his last six starts, will pitch against C.J. Wilson (12-6), 8-1 in his last 11 starts.
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