Angels dominated by Gerrit Cole in loss to Yankees

ANAHEIM — Angels fans saw what they’re missing connected Wednesday.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, the entity of specified an aggravated tendency by Angels Nation erstwhile helium was a escaped cause successful 2019, struck retired 15 successful 7 innings successful the Angels’ 4-1 loss.

The Angels were trying for an improbable expanse of the Yankees, but they had nary answers for the pitcher who has vaulted to the apical of the Cy Young discussion.

Cole gave up 4 hits. Two of the hits – a azygous by Jack Mayfield and a treble by David Fletcher – came connected consecutive at-bats successful the sixth inning, starring to the Angels’ lone run.

Cole responded by striking retired the adjacent 3 hitters, and 5 of the adjacent six, ending his time aft 7 innings.

It was the archetypal quality astatine Angel Stadium successful a Yankee azygous for Cole, a merchandise of Orange Lutheran High and UCLA.

Although the Angels and their fans could fantasize astir however Cole would person looked successful red, it was going to beryllium hard for the Angels to outbid the Yankees. They offered an eight-year woody worthy astir $280 million, and the Yankees signed him to a nine-year, $324 million deal.

The Angels, of course, pivoted to 3rd baseman Anthony Rendon that winter, and person continued searching for pitching ever since.

On Wednesday they sent Packy Naughton to the mound for his archetypal large league start. Naughton, 25, was 1 of the pitchers the Angels acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for Brian Goodwin past year.

Naughton gave up 3 runs successful 3-2/3 innings, getting burned by 2 walks and a postulation of well-placed singles.

In the third, Anthony Rizzo singled disconnected the mitt of archetypal baseman Jared Walsh successful betwixt 2 walks. Luke Voit past punched a two-run azygous done the close broadside of the infield, with 2nd baseman Fletcher having vacated the spot successful a shift.

An inning later, Rougned Odor reached connected a bunt single, took 2nd connected a grounder and scored connected a Brett Gardner single, ending Naughton’s day.

“I’m ne'er going to beryllium blessed giving up runs, but I felt good,” Naughton said. “Body felt good. All successful all, a decent outing.”

It was other peculiar for Naughton, a Boston native, to look the Yankees.

“It was unthinkable to spell against those guys, aboriginal Hall of Famers,” Naughton said. “To spell against Gerrit Cole, it was a imagination travel true. It was surreal.”

This was the Angels 2nd nonaccomplishment successful the archetypal 5 games of the homestand, and it had a akin look to the Friday crippled erstwhile the Padres’ Jake Musgrove dominated them.

“If you saw Musgrove a mates days agone and this feline today, they are conscionable premium pitchers,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “They are aces and they were connected their game. I thought our guys did a fantastic occupation of battling. It was 3-1 until the location tally by (Aaron) Judge (in the eighth).

“I’m truly pleased. We conscionable won a bid against the Yankees successful September. That’s not bad. That’s beauteous good. That’s successful spite of missing immoderate cardinal components and having a bullpen game. To triumph a bid against this squad speaks volumes astir the effort of our guys.”