NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning and struck out nine in his return from the COVID-19 injured list, Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer and the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Monday night.
New York has won 10 of 13 and pulled within two games of Boston for an AL wild-card spot. The Yankees open a three-game series against the Red Sox with a day-night doubleheader Tuesday.
Cole (11-6) went 5 2/3 innings, the only damage against him coming on Justin Upton’s homer in the first. The Yankees' ace walked just one batter and threw 90 pitches, reaching 100 mph in his first appearance since allowing eight runs to Tampa Bay on July 29.
The right-hander tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 3 and had mild symptoms. He showed ill effects Monday.
Gallo hit his 29th homer in the first inning against José Suarez (5-6), a drive into the second deck in right field. Gallo has four homers with New York since being acquired July 29 from Texas.
Zack Britton, Albert Abreu and Joely Rodriguez got the ball to Chad Green, who closed out the ninth for his fourth save. The bullpen had blown at least one lead in three of New York's past six games.
Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 after homering three times in three games at Yankee Stadium during the Angels' previous visit.
The Angels were forced into an unusual travel schedule for this makeup game from a July 1 rainout. Los Angeles beat Houston at home Sunday afternoon, landed in New York early Monday morning and planned to leave straight for Detroit on Monday night to start a three-game set Tuesday.
The July 1 rainout came a day after the low point of New York's season, when All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman gave up a tying grand slam to Los Angeles' Jared Walsh in the ninth inning of a stunning 11-8 Angels win.
The Yankees are 25-13 since.
Suarez was effective until he walked DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge and Gallo in succession to start the sixth inning. Right-hander Steve Cishek replaced Suarez, struck out Giancarlo Stanton and induced an inning-ending double play from Luke Voit.
The Yankees have grounded into 15 double plays with the bases loaded this year. No other team entered Monday with more than nine, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
Suarez was charged with two runs, four hits and three walks in five-plus innings. He struck out six and threw 82 pitches.
Upton's homer was his 16th of the season but just his second since June 9, a span of 30 games for the slugger.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn’t certain Clint Frazier will be able to play baseball again after the outfielder was pulled from a minor league rehab assignment amid continuing issues with dizziness.
Frazier was placed on the injured list July 1 with what was initially called vertigo and later defined as a possible vision issue. He missed nearly all of the 2018 season with lingering concussion symptoms, but it’s not clear if his current problems are related. He played three minor league rehab games before New York ended the stint Monday and transferred him to the 60-day injured list.
Angels: OF Mike Trout (calf) is traveling with the team but did not do any on-field work Monday. The Angels hope he can return this season.
Yankees: RHP Brooks Kriske was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... RHP Luis Severino (right shoulder tightness) had an MRI as planned. Boone said the team hoped to review the results before the end of the night. ... C Gary Sánchez (COVID-19 IL) hit on the field and could be activated Tuesday.
Angels: RHP Dylan Bundy (2-9, 6.17 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at Detroit on Tuesday night against RHP Casey Mize (6-6, 3.66).
Yankees: Host the rival Red Sox for a day-night doubleheader. LHP Luis Gil (1-0, 0.00) will make his third big league start in one of the games and LHP Jordan Montgomery (4-5, 3.69) will come off the COVID-19 IL to pitch the other, although the order was still uncertain. Boston will use RHPs Nathan Eovaldi (10-7, 3.91) and Tanner Houck (0-3, 2.93), but that order also was TBD.