Luis Gil gave up just two hits through eight innings, Alex Verdugo homered and the New York Yankees hung on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Gil (7-1) allowed only a single to Luis Rengifo in the third inning and a solo homer to Logan O’Hoppe — his sixth of the year — in the seventh on his way to winning his sixth consecutive start.
Gil struck out nine and walked two while making 95 pitches, and at one point retired 11 straight Angels. With Gil out of the game in the ninth, however, the Angels nearly rallied.
Los Angeles put runners on first and second with no outs against Yankees closer Clay Holmes, but he got Willie Calhoun to ground into a double play, moving Rengifo to third with two out.
Holmes then retired O’Hoppe on a grounder to third to end the game and earn his 16th save.
The Yankees scored what turned out to be the winning run in the top of the seventh after Anthony Volpe attempted to stretch a liner into the right-field corner into a triple.
Angels right fielder Jo Adell made a good throw to the cutoff man Rengifo, whose throw to third beat Volpe but was off line and in the dirt, allowing Volpe to slide into third with a triple. And because the ball bounced out of play, Volpe was awarded home to score the Yankees’ second run of the game.
Aaron Boone didn’t make it out of the first inning, the Yankees manager getting tossed while arguing with umpires about an unusual play in the top of the first.
Angels starter Tyler Anderson (5-5) gave up a single to Volpe and walked Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, loading the bases with no outs for Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton hit a pop fly near the second base bag. The infield fly rule was called and Stanton was ruled out. But as Soto was getting back to the base, he bumped into shortstop Zach Neto, who leaned back to attempt the catch.
Interference was called on Soto, completing a double play.
Anderson then retired Verdugo to end the inning, but not before Boone vehemently argued the interference call, earning himself his third ejection the season. Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus took over the managerial duties for the remainder of the game.
Anderson also escaped a second-inning jam, stranding two more baserunners. But the Yankees finally broke through on Verdugo’s solo homer just inside the right-field foul pole leading off the fourth inning. It was Verdugo’s eighth blast of the season.
–Field Level Media