NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Syndergaard was rocked in his return to New York, giving up Matt Carpenter’s two-run homer in a four-run first inning that propelled the Yankees over the reeling Los Angeles Angels 9-1 Tuesday night.
Starting a high-profile three-game series against Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout & Co., New York improved the American League’s best record to 34-14 and sent the Angels (27-23) to their season-worst sixth straight loss.
Jordan Montgomery (1-1) pitched four-hit ball for seven innings, allowing
Aaron Judge, the 6-foot-7 All-Star, helped out with his glove, jumping to get his glove above the 8-foot-5 center-field wall to deny Ohtani a possible home run in the first.
A Mets fan favorite across town at Citi Field from 2015-19, Syndergaard hardly resembled the flamethrower known as Thor. He missed all of 2020 following Tommy John surgery and returned to pitch two innings during the final week of last season. Syndergaard signed a $21 million, one-year deal with the Angels and has reinvented himself, his old 98 mph bolts now absent.
Syndergaard (4-3) got just one swinging strike among 45 pitches, averaging 94 mph with his fastball. He allowed five runs, seven hits and a walk, his ERA rising from 3.08 to 4.02.
“I think he’s just amped up being on the soil here. He loves the area,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said before the game. “He’s excited to be back here. He loved living in the city. He relates to this place very strongly.”
Jose Trevino also homered for the Yankees and tied a career high with three hits.
Judge walked on four pitches with one out in the first, and
to make it 2-0 — thinking the ball was out, he jogged between first and second and was called out on a video review for overrunning third. Miguel Andújar hit a soft single, and
Twelve of 20 runs off Syndergaard this season have scored in the first inning. It was his second short outing in three starts after a one-out, six-run wipeout at Texas on May 16.
in the second.
“When he's been at his best in the past, he overwhelms you with stuff,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s that 98, 100 mile an hour heater with a 93, 94 mile an hour wipeout slider. This year that velocity’s not there, but his changeups been a really good pitch for him, his slider’s been a really good pitch.”
WEB GEMS
After Ohtani doubled with two outs in the sixth for his sixth hit — and first non-homer — in 39 at-bats against the Yankees,
POSITIVE FLOP
Trevino got the Yankees a run in the sixth inning when he came home on LeMahieu’s grounder,
CHALLENGING
Los Angeles was successful on a video challenge for just the fourth time in 15 tries this season.
THROWING, NOT DRIVING
Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson threw a ceremonial first pitch that looped toward the plate.
MOVES
Left-hander Kenny Rosenberg was recalled by the Angels from Triple-A Salt Lake and threw 99 pitches over five innings of relief.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton (strained right calf) could be activated Saturday, the first day he is eligible. ... 3B Josh Donaldson (right shoulder inflammation) could be activated Sunday. ... LHP Aroldis Chapman (left Achilles) played catch for the first time since going on the IL. ... OF Tim Locastro (last played May 4 due to a strained left lat) was 0 for 3 as he started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
UP NEXT
LHP Nestor Cortes (4-1, 1.70 ERA) takes a .175 opponents’ batting average, lowest among qualified pitchers, into Wednesday’s start against the Anges and LHP Reid Detmers (2-2, 4.65).
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