Yankees start soggy doubleheader with win before Angels slam Will Warren

With light rain and a crowd to match descending on the Bronx, the New York Yankees started a traditional doubleheader with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

The Bronx Bombers struck first, benefitting from an Austin Wells RBI single and a run-scoring double from Anthony Volpe in the opening inning. The second inning brought another run, as Oswaldo Cabrera went deep with the bases empty for his seventh homer of the season.

“Just trying to produce and move the lineup,” said Wells, who has settled in nicely as a the Yankees’ latest cleanup hitter.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the fourth, as Alex Verdugo picked up an RBI double before Aaron Judge added a RBI on a single.

Meanwhile, the Halos wasted multiple scoring opportunities with Luis Gil on the mound. The right-hander was erratic from the jump, throwing 30 pitches in the first.

Gil ultimately walked five batters over five innings and a career-high 107 pitches. And yet, the Angels never scored off the starter, who only allowed two hits.

“Definitely difficult out there today. I’m trying to locate all my pitches,” Gil said of gripping the ball. “But you know you have to understand that it happens. And in the moment, you just gotta find it within you to be the best you can be out there.”

Gil also struck out six while lowering his ERA to 3.06. While he wasn’t perfect, Boone appreciated the pitcher getting through five innings with a second game still to be played.

“It was a bit of a struggle there just to get him in rhythm and stuff,” the manager said. “His stuff was good, fastball profile really good. Just a lot of big, long counts. But in the end, he gave us five shutout and kind of grinded his way.

“Good job of battling today by Luis.”

With Gil out of the game, the Angels finally got on the board in the seventh. Zach Neto did the honors, drilling a two-run homer off Yankees reliever Jake Cousins.

However, the Yankees still prevailed while improving to 68-46 on the season. That gave them baseball’s best record at the time of the first game’s conclusion.

Angels ambush Warren in Game 2

The Yankees weren’t as fortunate in the second contest, adding to their loss column as the Angels took an 8-2 ballgame.

The visitors battered Will Warren in his second major league start, tagging the rookie right-hander for eight earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Warren also totaled eight hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Most of the damage against the 25-year-old came in the second inning, as Mickey Moniak started the scoring with an RBI single. Nolan Schanuel then worked a walk with the bases loaded.

Neto, who had already homered in the first game, crushed a grand slam to give the Angels a 6-0 lead before the inning came to an end.

The shortstop added a two-run double off Warren in the fourth inning.

Faced with an early deficit, the Yankees scored two runs off Angels starter Carson Fulmer. A DJ LeMahieu single provided the first run in the second inning, while a Gleyber Torres sacrifice fly drove in another in the fourth.

The Yankees didn’t score again after that.

With their doubleheader split down the middle, the Yankees and Angels will play a rubber match on Thursday.

Nestor Cortes will start for the Yankees, while Tyler Anderson will take the ball for Los Angeles.

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