Angels see early lead evaporate in 12-6 loss to Yankees

Reporting from NEW YORK â€”  The American League pitchers armed with the fastest and slowest fastballs matched up Wednesday night in the Bronx.

Neither Nathan Eovaldi nor Jered Weaver played much of a role in the ultimate decision, but it made for quite the juxtaposition. More influential to the outcome were the two teams’ relievers. The New York Yankees battered the Angels’ bullpen and obtained a 12-6 victory, depressing the Angels to 10 games back of the AL West lead, further than they ever fell a year ago.

Only six major league teams have worse records than the Angels’ 26-33 total.

The Angels blitzed Eovaldi early but could not amass a rally as robust as the Yankees soon would. Kole Calhoun roped a ground-rule double in the first inning and scored on Mike Trout’s single. Rafael Ortega slapped a double in the second inning and scored on Gregorio Petit’s home run. Jefry Marte shot a home run into the second deck in the third inning, pushing the Angels ahead temporarily.

The Yankees then tied it when Chris Parmelee doubled and Brett Gardner singled. Gardner doubled in their first run earlier in the game, and scored the second when Alex Rodriguez singled. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a third-inning solo home run.

Topping out at 85 mph as usual, Weaver struggled to survive — predictably, considering no active major league starter has a worse earned-run average in any ballpark where he has thrown at least 30 innings.

He entered the game with an 8.71 ERA at the latest iteration of Yankee Stadium, and he exited with an 8.92 mark. The condensed corners here are not suited for a man who relies on outfield flies falling short of the fences. He has given up 11 home runs in 371/3 innings in this borough.

Wednesday’s important inning was the sixth, which Weaver began having thrown 76 pitches. Leading off, he left a 1-and-1 changeup up to Parmelee, a middling first baseman in the minors as of last week.

Parmelee hit it high and far to right field, tieing the score. In minutes, the outcome was determined.

With one out, Weaver walked Ellsbury, letting him on for the fourth time. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia called in left-hander Jose Alvarez, who yielded a single to Gardner and then faced Carlos Beltran, the man who beat him in a key spot Monday night. Beltran beat him again, lining a double to left.

Cam Bedrosian replaced Alvarez and gave up another single — which scored two runs — before he ended the inning. Parmelee homered once more in the seventh, as did Beltran, both off Angels rookie left-hander Greg Mahle.

Expressionless after the game, Weaver said he remained hopeful that he would regain velocity, but understood it was not going to happen unless his 33-year-old body began to feel better.

“They got their fair share of hits,� Weaver said. “There was nothing I could do.�

Scioscia said Weaver’s problem Wednesday night was his changeup, which he could not use effectively in tandem with his low heat.

“But it’s in there,� Scioscia said. “I think he’s going to continue to do what he’s been doing.�

Though the Angels have won five of his 12 starts, Weaver’s season ERA is 5.56, in the seventh percentile among qualified starters. His fielding-independent pitching mark is 5.80, tied with Boston’s Clay Buchholz for the second-worst mark in the majors, behind only Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez.

Both Buchholz and Sanchez have been bumped to the bullpen in recent days.

The Angels’ bullpen could use reinforcements. They demoted Mahle after Wednesday’s game and will recall another reliever Thursday. Scioscia called the situation “a bit of a flux.�

“We’re getting some leads,� Scioscia said. “We’re just not closing these games out.�

They closed Wednesday’s events without much protest. The Yankees would have scored the game’s final eight runs without response had Trout not slammed a home run to lead off the ninth inning for his third hit of the game.

His team wasted another superb performance by baseball’s best player. As the Angels’ ship floated among the turbulent waves, Trout remained the lighthouse shining into the night.

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Twitter: @pedromoura