Yankees 4 - 3 Angels
Final
  for this game

Roberts' homer helps Yanks down Angels

May 7, 2014 - 6:05 AM Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brian Roberts' first home run for the New York Yankees was a game-winner.

Roberts drove Ernesto Frieri's first-pitch fastball into the right-field seats with two outs in the ninth inning Tuesday night, lifting the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Angels.

"I attacked the strike zone," said Frieri. "The pitch was low but he put a good swing on it."

The go-ahead blast came after the Angels tied the score with two outs in the eighth inning after Mike Trout tripled to chase Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda from the game and Albert Pujols followed with a single off Shawn Kelley (1-2).

The Angels won the opener of the three-game series 4-1 on Monday after scoring three runs in the eighth inning without a hit. Three Yankees relievers issued a combined six walks -- one intentional -- in the bullpen meltdown.

Roberts, signed as a free agent in January after playing his first 13 seasons for AL East rival Baltimore, also had an RBI single in the win.

Hiroki Kuroda struck out eight batters in 7 2/3 innings without issuing a walk in his best outing in his last four starts. He gave up five hits and three runs -- just one earned.

"It was encouraging tonight watching Hiroki pitch," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "His sinker and slider were working (and) it was nice to get some big hits."

David Robertson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fifth save of the season, wrapping up New York's second win in seven games.

Pujols had two hits for the Angels, who fell to 5-3 on a nine-game homestand.

Angels starter C.J. Wilson went eight innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts before Frieri (0-3) took over in the ninth.

The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in Wilson's last inning on Alfonso Soriano's hit through the left side, which scored Carlos Beltran from second base with one out.

Earlier, the Angels took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Erick Aybar and Trout.

Both runs were unearned. Hank Conger scored the first after leading off with a single and going to third base on Collin Cowgill's bunt. Cowgill reached second on his bunt after third baseman Yangervis Solarte's throwing error and scored later on Trout's fly ball.

The Yankees tied the score with two runs in the fifth, scoring the first after Solarte, Brett Gardner and Roberts hit three consecutive singles to start the inning. The second run came home when Jacoby Ellsbury bounced into a double play.

Game Notes

Roberts hit 92 home runs for the Orioles ... Entering the game, Kuroda was 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA in his last three starts, pitching just 16 1/3 combined innings in those games.






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