Angels 9, Yankees 8
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels lost ace Jered Weaver after just three batters with a lower back injury Monday night, but Mark Trumbo and the Angels' offense helped overcome that adversity to beat New York Yankees 9-8 in a wild opener of a three-game series.
Trumbo hit a walk-off home run off Cory Wade to open the ninth inning, the third walk-off hit of Trumbo's career. The Angels earned their seventh consecutive victory.
In his last home start on May 2, Weaver threw a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. However, his start Monday was nearly the exact opposite.
Weaver allowed hits to the first two batters of the game, Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez followed with a smash that shortstop Erick Aybar booted, allowing Jeter to score the game's first run. Weaver threw one pitch to cleanup hitter Robinson Cano, a ball, but landed awkwardly in his delivery off the mound.
After getting checked out by team trainers, Weaver threw one warm-up pitch to catcher Bobby Wilson but grimaced as he delivered the ball and was promptly removed from the game. Weaver threw just 12 pitches.
Yankees starter Phil Hughes pitched into the sixth inning, but it's hard to say his night was much better than Weaver's. Hughes allowed seven runs on 11 hits, including a fourth-inning solo home run by Angels rookie Mike Trout.
The Yankees scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning, but the Angels struck back with four runs of their own, capped off by a two-run single from Howie Kendrick.
Kendrick and Kendrys Morales each drove in three runs on the night, and the two-run double by Morales in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Angels an 8-5 lead.
Bobby Cassevah relieved Weaver and was able to pitch 3 1/3 innings in emergency duty, allowing one run. However, the Angels bullpen, tasked with having to get 27 outs, eventually faltered.
Yankees catcher Russell Martin, who entered Monday hitting just .177 with nine extra-base hits in 39 games, delivered a two-out, two-run double off Jason Isringhausen in the top of the seventh that tied the score at 8-8.
Jordan Walden pitched two scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season.
Granderson hit his team-leading 15th homer in the second inning.
NOTES: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who went 2-for-2 with a home run and three walks, is hitting .480 (12-for-25) with four home runs in seven games since returning to the starting lineup after missing time due to a bronchial issue. ... The four runs scored by the Angels in the first inning Monday night were a season high for the first inning. ... Outfielder Torii Hunter worked out with the Angels before the game, and he could be activated from the restricted list for Tuesday's game. Hunter had been away from the team for two weeks following the arrest of one of his sons in connection with a sexual-assault investigation at a Dallas-area high school. "I think he's ready to come back and play baseball," manager Mike Scioscia said.
