ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Carlos Rodón pitched seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball, and Devin Williams barely survived a perilous ninth inning to earn his first save since April 17 in the New York Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Yoán Moncada homered in the ninth as the Angels ended a stretch of 16 scoreless innings in the series with two runs and three hits off Williams, the Yankees’ embattled new reliever. Williams lost the closer role last month after a shaky beginning to his New York tenure, and he hadn’t had a save opportunity since April 25.
After Moncada led off the ninth with a homer on his 30th birthday, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Ward scored when Jo Adell grounded into a forceout, but Williams got pinch-hitter Logan O’Hoppe on a foul popup to secure his fifth save and the Yankees’ seventh straight series win.
Ben Rice and Oswald Peraza homered and Anthony Volpe had an RBI single for the defending AL champion Yankees, who have won four in a row, eight of nine and 15 of 19 to surge seven games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Rodón (7-3) tied his season high with 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter while winning his third consecutive start. Opponents are batting just .164 against the left-hander, the lowest mark in the majors among qualified pitchers.
Tyler Anderson (2-2) held the Yankees to five hits and one unearned run over six innings, but the Angels have scored just five runs during their four-game skid following an eight-game winning streak.
Key moment
Rodón struck out Chris Taylor with a runner in scoring position to end the seventh, slotting a fastball in the bottom of the zone with his 105th and final pitch.
Key stat
Peraza has three extra-base hits in his last five games after managing just two in the previous 6 1/2 weeks.
Up next
Yusei Kikuchi (1-4, 3.17 ERA) pitches for the Angels against Clarke Schmidt (1-2, 4.58) in the series finale.
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