Closer Aroldis Chapman recorded the fastest pitch this season as the New York Yankees snapped a season-high seven-game losing streak with an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday in the second game of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Chapman got the final out of the game by striking out Eric Young Jr. with a 102.9-mph pitch, the fastest so far this season, as the yankees moved back into first place in the American League East with a 39-30 mark, half-a-game ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
Shortstop Didi Gregorius hit a two-run shot in the second frame, Holliday hammered a solo homer in the fifth while Austin Romine added three hits for the Yankees, who got 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball from Jordan Montgomery (5-4).
Gregorius praised the team for working together to get out of the slump. “We lost seven in a row, but it shows the team is still together. Nobody tried to be selfish, and today we broke out of it. We played a really good game,” the shortstop told MLB.com.
Romine collected career hits No. 99, 100 and 101 in the win, including a two-run double in the sixth that helped the Yankees pull away for a 5-2 lead. He later acknowledged hitting coaches Alan Cockrell and Marcus Thames for keeping him “mentally in the right state of mind in my approach.”
Montgomery held the Angels to just a two-run homer by Martin Maldonado during his stint on the mound. He yielded five hits and struck out five and two walks.
Chad Green and Dellin Betances had combined for 2 1/3 scoreless frames before Maldonado hit another two-run shot against Tyler Clippard in the eighth.
Nolasco takes loss for Angels
Ricky Nolasco (2-9) took the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits with five walks, and five strikeouts as the Angels (37-38) suffered their fourth loss in last six games.
Maldonado was the only bright spot for the Angels, homering twice and finishing with four RBIs. The Angels have lost each of Nolasco's last ten starts.
During that span, Nolasco tallied a 5.79 ERA while the team failed to back him up with enough run support. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Angels averaged just 2.8 runs in support of Nolasco, the lowest mark in the Majors.
Jesse Chavez to start against Luis Severino in finale
The Angels will start right-hander Jesse Chavez (4-1) in the series finale against Luis Severino (5-2). In 10 career starts against the Yankees, Chavez has a 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA. Severino, for his part, is undefeated in his last eight starts.
