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Haren, Halos try to cut into Yanks' wild card lead

Aug 9, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - Angels starter Dan Haren has been unbeatable since enduring a rough outing almost three weeks ago.

The Yankees wish they could have as much confidence in A.J. Burnett right now.

While Haren goes for a third straight winning start, Burnett looks to rebound from an awful effort last time out as New York plays host to Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series tonight in the Bronx.

The right-handed Haren struggled in a no-decision versus the Rangers on July 20, yielding seven runs over 4 1/3 innings. However, he has been almost lights out since, giving up just a single run in each of his last three straight outings.

After going the distance to beat the Tigers on July 30, Haren worked around five hits over eight innings of action to best the Twins five days later, striking out six without a walk. The 30-year-old improved to 12-6 in 25 games this year with a 2.81 earned run average.

"Dan had four solid pitches and his command was terrific," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Haren, who hasn't walked more than two batters in a game in his last 14 appearances.

Haren will face the Yankees for the first time in 2011 and is a solid 4-1 against them in his career with a 3.78 ERA.

The Angels may not need to score a lot of runs this evening the way Haren has been pitching as of late, but that might not be the case for the Yankees following Burnett's last go around.

The right-hander hasn't won since June 29, going 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in six starts since, and failed to pick up a win at the White Sox on Wednesday despite the Yankees plating 13 of their 18 runs while Burnett was on the mound. He was only able to last 4 1/3 innings and was charged with seven runs on 13 hits in a no-decision.

The 34-year-old fell to 8-9 with a 4.54 ERA in 23 starts this season and is 2-2 with a 4.60 ERA in seven career starts versus the Angels. He moves up a day to face them after Tuesday's scheduled starter, Phil Hughes, was used in relief in Sunday's 3-2 setback to Boston in 10 innings.

Hughes threw just 13 pitches, but his final one was hit by Josh Reddick for a game-winning RBI single. Hughes came on to pitch the 10th after closer Mariano Rivera allowed a game-tying sacrifice fly to in the ninth inning.

Rivera started the frame by yielding a double to Marco Scutaro, who scored on Dustin Pedroia's sac fly after moving to third on a bunt by Jacoby Ellsbury.

"It wasn't the pitch that I wanted it to be," Rivera said about his pitch to Scutaro. "It was a little bit down, should've been a little bit up. I can't blame no one but myself. I didn't get it done. That's that."

Brett Gardner and Eduardo Nunez hit solo homers for the Yankees, who had won eight straight before losing the final two contests of their three-game set with the Red Sox. New York has lost 10 of 12 to Boston this year, trails the club by 1 1/2 games in the American League East and has lost a season set to its rivals for the first time since 2004.

The Yankees do own a seven-game edge over the Angels, their closest competition in the wild-card race. That should leave Los Angeles' focus on the AL West, where it trails Texas by 1 1/2 games for first place.

The Angels have won 12 of their past 14 series after taking Sunday's rubber match of a three-game set with the Mariners. Ervin Santana won a pitchers' duel with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez, scattering one run and seven hits over 8 1/3 innings to win his fourth straight start.

"I had command of every pitch. Everything felt good," Santana said of his performance. "I knew I could finish the game, but that was [Angels manager] Mike's [Scioscia's] call."

Mart Trumbo hit a solo homer in the third inning and Vernon Wells knocked in a run with a liner in the seventh frame for the Angels, who have own three of four.

The Yankees took two of three when these clubs met in Anaheim in early June.