Bombers take 2 of 3 from Halos

Game 1: May vs Guidry

The first game in Yankee Stadium is a classic pitching duel. In the first eight innings, Guidry was dominant, not allowing a run across. Roy White’s RBI single in the fifth gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead in a game where runs were hard to come by for both teams. Willie Randolph led off the eighth with a solo homer to make it 2-0. When Guidry allowed a walk to the first batter in the ninth he was pulled and replaced with Lindey McDaniel despite having only given up three hits in the game. McDaniel would allow two singles to load the bases and the walked runner would score on a force play at second, but he struck out Stanton to end the game. The Angels fall just short as New York takes the first game 2-1.

Game 2: Ryan vs Stottlemeyre

In game two the Angels sent ace Nolan Ryan to face New York starter Mel Stottlemyre. Mel had her virtually unhittable in his first two starts. This game would prove no exception as he allowed only two hits in a complete game. Ryan matched him out for out until the sixth, when Graig Nettles hit his sixth home run to plate three runs. For the rest of the game Stottlemyre faced the minimum and ended the game with a complete-game shutout and reduced his ERA to a microscopic 0.35.

Game 3: Peterson vs Tanana

Every pitcher seems to get at least one bad outing, and it was the turn of the Yanks’ Fritz Peterson. After allowing a run in the third things fell apart completely in the Angels fifth. In that inning the Angels recorded a double and four singles and four runs scored. Mike Tidrow came in, struck out Don Baylor to end the nightmare inning, and gave up only two hits the rest of the night. Despite a solo shot by Thurman Munson and an opportunity in the eighth with a runner on third (a threat which ended when Nettles popped up to the shortstop) California held serve. The end was a 5-1 home win for the Angels that saw Peterson’s ERA balloon to 5.14. Frank Tanana secured the win despite being ejected in the sixth for arguing balls and strikes after walking Willie Randolph; in his five shutout innings he gave up only one hit.

The Yanks face Texas next, while California goes up against the Detroit Tigers.

Michael Hopcroft

NYY manager