NEW YORK (AP) — I've got it, you take it — nobody caught it.
When a seemingly routine ninth-inning popup off the bat of Jazz Chisholm Jr. went up in the air Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Angels appeared well on their way to a comeback win at Yankee Stadium.
But when the ball came down untouched, everything started to go wrong.
Moments after shortstop Zach Neto and third baseman Oswald Peraza flubbed an easy play, José Caballero lined a two-run double
off closer Jordan Romano that gave the New York Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Angels.
“It’s just, my fault," Neto said. "Shortstop has priority over everybody and I should have caught the ball. Just miscommunication, but I take full responsibility for that. I should have went out there and caught it.”
Los Angeles was leading 4-3 with one out and nobody on in the ninth when Chisholm popped up to the left side.
Neto and Peraza, a former Yankees infielder, failed to communicate clearly, though, and they both backed away as the ball dropped right between them on the infield dirt for a gift single, prompting Neto to put his hands on his head.
“It wasn’t loud,” he said. "I mean, just two miscomminications. I called it, he called it. But like I said, I take full responsibility. I should have had it. It’s my ball.”
That came back to bite the Angels, who had played outstanding defense all night to that point before a Bronx crowd of 41,019.
Austin Wells worked a full-count walk against Romano, and both runners were attempting to steal when Caballero smacked a 1-2 slider into left-center.
Chisholm easily scored the tying run and third-base coach Luis Rojas aggressively waved Wells home. The catcher barely beat Neto’s relay throw to the plate with a feetfirst slide, and the safe call was confirmed after a replay review.
“Obviously, one of them thought somebody called it and then they both stopped going after it,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. "That was a tough one, you know? That was a tough one. Because like, it was really just — the simple answer is miscommunication.”
It was the second blown save and loss in the series for Romano, who squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning of Monday night’s 11-10 defeat.
“Look, I’m not going to sit here and say that these didn’t hurt. It’s definitely stingers," Suzuki said. "Guys in there, they work their butts off, and to lose a game and close games like this, it’s tough. But, tomorrow’s another day. Forget about it, move on tomorrow. We’ve got a big league ballgame to win tomorrow.”
Suzuki said the team will try to figure out what's troubling Romano, who has four saves in six opportunities this season.
“Yeah, the last couple games have been tough. He’s been really good to start the year and then last couple games, tough," Suzuki said. "Probably take a look at it and see what’s going on.”
Los Angeles erased an early 3-0 deficit but wasted another home run from three-time AL MVP Mike Trout and a solid pitching performance from 25-year-old right-hander Jack Kochanowicz.
Neto also made a costly baserunning blunder when he got thrown out at third base by left fielder Cody Bellinger on Trout's two-out single in the seventh.
Trout hit his fourth homer in three nights, putting the Angels ahead 4-3 with a two-run drive in the fifth. He has eight RBIs in the first three games of the four-game series and is batting .344 with 12 homers and 11 doubles in 33 games at Yankee Stadium.
It's his highest batting average at any current American League ballpark.
“He's tremendous. It’s been fun to watch. He’s been having great at-bats — even his outs. His outs are even good at-bats. So, just got to keep it going,” Suzuki said.
"You’re watching a future Hall of Famer go to work and have some great at-bats. I think guys feed off of that. Young guys, veteran guys, they all feed off of him. So, it’s been great for the team.”
Adam Frazier and Logan O’Hoppe each hit a solo homer off Yankees starter Luis Gil. It was the first home run at Yankee Stadium for O’Hoppe, who grew up about 45 miles away on Long Island.
Kochanowicz left in line to win a third consecutive start for the first time in his career. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and four walks with six strikeouts.
“Once he settled in after that second inning, he was awesome," Suzuki said. "He was strong, he was going through ’em, and really no stressful innings after the second.”
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