This story was originally published by Dead Spin
For most of Wednesday, the Los Angeles Angels survived pitching to Aaron Judge while the New York Yankees struggled to get Zach Neto out.
The Angels hope to withstand more plate appearances by Judge while the Yankees hope to figure out ways to retire Neto Thursday night in the finale of a three-game series in New York.
Both players figured prominently in a doubleheader split.
Judge had an RBI single and reached base four times to help New York get a 5-2 win in the opener. He also drew an intentional walk, giving him five of his 12 intentional free passes since Saturday.
“Getting a hit with Judge on base?” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said of Judge after Game 1. “I’ll take that every time. Obviously we want to see him hit and do damage and put balls over the fence. But as an opposing team, it makes sense to put him on first and attack the rest of the guys.”
The Angels avoided any decisions about facing Judge in their 8-2 win in the nightcap thanks to Neto’s historic performance.
Neto became the first opposing shortstop to get six RBIs in any version of Yankee Stadium by hitting his first career grand slam to cap a six-run second inning and later added a two-run double.
“Well he must be a big-time player to do it in Yankee Stadium,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “All the players that may have done it here. Tonight we needed everything he gave.”
“I think that’s memorable,” Neto said. “Being able to do that, I think it’s an honor.”
Neto is 7-for-15 since being moved up to the second spot in the lineup on Saturday. He also is hitting .342 (26-for-76) with five homers and 20 RBIs in his past 24 games.
Neto’s first at-bat Thursday will be against New York’s Nestor Cortes (5-9, 4.16 ERA), who is attempting to win consecutive starts for the first time since May 17-22. Cortes stopped his four-game skid on July 31 when he allowed three runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-5 win at Philadelphia.
Cortes is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in seven career appearances (three starts) against the Angels. He last faced them May 28 at the Angels when the left-hander allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-3 Yankees loss.
Judge has reached base multiple times in 10 of his past 11 games and is hitting .431 (28-for-65) over his past 20 games. Judge’s first at-bat will be against Tyler Anderson (8-10, 3.05), who is 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA in his past four starts since July 6.
Anderson allowed three runs or fewer for the 18th time this season Friday when he allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings during the Angels’ 5-1 loss to the New York Mets on Friday.
Anderson is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. He allowed one run on four hits in five innings in a 2-1 home loss on May 29.
–Field Level Media
