ANAHEIM — Fresh off a dominant 16-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees suffered a sharp reversal on Monday night at Angel Stadium, falling 10-1 to the Los Angeles Angels. Rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña delivered a commanding performance for Los Angeles, allowing just one run over seven innings to help the Angels snap a seven-game losing streak.
The victory gave Los Angeles (9-9 for Ureña on the season) a decisive series-opening win, while New York missed a critical opportunity to gain ground in the American League East and Wild Card races. The Yankees remain 4.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the division following the loss.
Unforced Errors Turn the Tide in Anaheim
Yankees starter Elmer Rodríguez (0-3) kept the game scoreless through two innings before trouble mounted in the third. Tyler Heineman opened the inning with a leadoff double, later scoring on a two-out single by Vaughn Grissom to give the Angels a 1-0 lead.
Rodríguez’s command faltered completely in the fourth inning. After securing two quick outs, the right-hander hit back-to-back batters with runaway curveballs to load the bases. Zach Neto capitalized with an RBI single through the left side, followed by a two-run single from Mike Trout that pushed the Angels’ lead to 4-0 and forced Rodríguez from the mound after just 3.2 innings of work.
Defensive lapses further eroded New York’s chances. Shortstop José Caballero committed two fielding errors, including an off-target throw that allowed Christian Moore to score following a pickoff attempt gone wrong. Relay blunders between Trent Grisham and Luis Garcia Jr. highlighted a disjointed defensive effort by the visiting squad, which finished with three official errors on the night.
Ureña Silences New York Offense
While New York struggled in the field, Ureña kept the Yankees’ lineup contained. After giving up two early baserunners, the 22-year-old retired 11 consecutive batters using an effective mix centered on his changeup. He allowed five hits and struck out eight over seven full innings of work.
The sole line of offense for the Yankees came in the top of the fifth inning, when Spencer Jones launched a solo home run to right field—his eighth homer of the season. However, the Angels answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame with RBI production from Grissom and Moore to restore and expand their margin.
Relief Outings and Division Stakes
The game marked the season debut for Yankees pitcher Luis Gil, making his first Major League appearance since April 26. Gil entered in the sixth inning to provide relief, but defensive misplays behind him negated an inning-ending double play chance, allowing another Angels run to cross the plate.
Los Angeles sealed the blowout in the eighth inning against reliever David Bednar, scoring three additional runs headlined by a two-run double from Grissom, who finished the night 3-for-5 with four RBIs. T. Saucedo and B. Weiman pitched clean relief innings in the eighth and ninth to finalize the 10-1 result.
The loss leaves the Yankees searching for answers as their road trip continues. New York is scheduled to start ace Gerrit Cole on Tuesday night against Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez in the second game of the series.