ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels both came into their three-game series looking for momentum after dropping two of three after the All-Star break.
After Wednesday's 7-3 victory, the Angels have found a spark while the Yankees are reeling and searching for answers.
Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo hit two-run homers and Chase Silseth struck out a career-high 10 in his first big league outing in seven weeks as the Angels completed a series sweep.
The Halos swept a three-game series from the Yankees for the first time since 2009 and have won four of five to get back over .500 at 49-48.
“Really good effort these three days. That's a team that’s in front of us and when everybody knows that," Angels manager Phil Nevin said. "So enjoy your day off tomorrow. We gotta come out and play with the same intensity and everything this weekend against the Pirates.”
Giancarlo Stanton and Franchy Cordero had solo shots for the Yankees, who have lost four straight and nine of 11. New York struck out 42 times during this series and is hit .171 in losing five of six to the Rockies and Angels.
The Yankees are batting .218 since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3.
“We stink right now. We acknowledge that,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We've got to be better. We all understand where we are at. We’re seeing some guys make progress and move the needle a little bit and get a little bit healthier, but we still got a ways to go.”
Carlos Rodón (0-3) allowed six runs, four hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. He didn’t endear himself to Yankees fans when he sarcastically blew a kiss while walking to the dugout with his team trailing 4-0 after the second inning. Making his 150th start, Rodón has a 7.36 ERA in his first three outings after signing a $162 million, six-year contract, his season delayed by a spring training injury.
“They just kicked my teeth in today,” Rodón said.
Silseth (2-1) allowed one run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander was used mainly out of the bullpen during his first big league stint this season, then went 2-1 in five starts for Triple-A Salt Lake.
The Angels needed to bring someone up for the series finale after Jaime Barria, who is usually the spot sixth starter, was used out of the bullpen during Sunday's 9-8 loss to Houston.
“When I went down, I took it as an opportunity to continue to learn instead of getting down on myself,” Silseth said. “I recalibrated and got the pitch mix. That’s been really comfortable for me in the last couple of starts down there and that came into today.”
Shohei Ohtani drew the first of his four walks in the opening inning, and Ward homered to left on a low, inside curveball. Rengifo drove Rodón's fastball over the left-center field wall for a 4-0 lead in the second, and the Angels' got two more runs in the third on Mickey Moniak's RBI base hit and Eduardo Escobar's run-scoring grounder.
“I think it helps a lot. But you can't take it for granted,” said Ward, who drove in three runs, about the early homer. “So it’s good to see we still put runs up there and then the pitching came in and shut it down.”
Stanton snapped an 0 for 16 skid with a solo shot in the sixth, and Kyle Higashioka added a RBI single. Oswald Peraza stranded the based loaded when he took a called third strike. He struck out four times, giving him seven in his last two games.
Cordero, who came into the game with only two hits in his last 30 at-bats, had three hits, including a solo shot in the eighth inning.
NOT AMUSED
Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle took out his frustrations on a cooling fan in the dugout after he allowed a ground-rule RBI double to Ward in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: CF Harrison Bader left during the sixth inning after being hit by Jose Soriano’s pitch. ... LHP Nestor Cortes (left rotator cuff strain) will make a rehab start on Sunday. It is likely to be Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since the RailRiders are at home. He threw 35 pitches in Anaheim on Monday.
Angels: LHP José Suarez (left shoulder strain) will make a rehab start on Sunday after throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday in a Arizona Complex League game.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Return home to begin a three-game series against Kansas City. RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-6, 4.31 ERA) will go on Friday.
Angels: RHP Ohtani (7-5, 3.50 ERA) takes the mound Friday for the start of a three-game series against Pittsburgh.
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