Angels Beat Yankees in Game 5, Force Series Back to the Bronx

The Yankees and Angels are two teams you can never count out of a game until the final out is recorded. Game five proved it once again. With a couple of questionable, if not just dumb, moves by both managers, the late innings were entertaining to watch and people will be second guessing there calls until the next game.

The Angels scored four runs off AJ Burnett before they made an out. From that point until the 7th inning, the game took it’s course and neither team put up any runs. Lackey was superb through seven innings but it was the 7th inning when the game took a wild turn.

John Lackey was taken out of the game, to his discontent, with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 7th.

You could read Lackey’s lips when Angels coach Mike Scioscia went to the mound to take Lackey out.

“You’re (expletive) me,” Lackey said. “This one is mine!”

Scioscia didn’t think so. Scoiscia called on Darren Oliver to replace Lackey and Oliver’s first pitch was pounded by Mark Teixeira to left center for a bases clearing double. The Angels intentionally walked A-Rod and Hideki Matsui followed with a single that drove in Teixeira to tie the game at 4-4. Oliver’s day was over without being able to get that last out in the 7th. Kevin Jepsen replaced Oliver and gave up a triple to Cano that gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead. Swisher popped out to end the inning.

Mark Teixeira couldn’t have picked a better time to get his first hit with RISP this postseason. The Yankees scored six runs in the 7th inning, all with two outs.

AJ Burnett gave up four runs in the first inning before recording an out. After the Yankees broke out for six runs in the top of the 7th, Girardi left Burnett in to start the bottom half of the 7th. Burnett gave up a single and walk and was taken out. Those two baserunners came around to score, being charged to Burnett. The Angels tacked on a go-ahead run with a Kendry Morales single and the Angels had a 7-6 lead.

Both teams knocked on the door the rest of the game but weren’t able to score anymore runs. The game ended when Swisher, who has been struggling mightily, popped up to shortstop with the bases loaded, a full-count and two outs in the 9th.

The series heads back to the Bronx for games six and seven, if necessary.