Anthony Volpe hit a three-run double and Ryan Yarbrough tossed six strong innings as the New York Yankees opened a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels with a 5-1 win on Monday in Anaheim, Calif.
Yarbrough (2-0) allowed two hits, including a leadoff homer to Zach Neto in the first inning. He issued one walk and struck out seven while throwing a season-high 88 pitches.
Yerry De los Santos, Mark Leiter Jr. and Luke Weaver combined for three scoreless innings in relief to secure the victory.
Cody Bellinger had two hits and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won three straight games and seven of their past eight.
The Angels were held to five hits and lost their third straight following an eight-game winning streak.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Neto deposited Yarbrough’s 2-2 changeup over the center field wall. The 440-foot blast was Neto’s ninth homer of the season.
Neto’s four leadoff home runs in May match the Angels record for the most in any calendar month. Taylor Ward set the mark last September.
Yarbrough settled in and retired 18 of the remaining 20 batters he faced in his fourth start of the season.
New York moved ahead with four runs in the fourth inning, when it sent nine batters to the plate against Jack Kochanowicz (3-6).
The Yankees began the inning with three consecutive singles and pushed a run across on Bellinger’s four-pitch walk.
After Jasson Dominguez struck out, Volpe cleared the bases with a three-run double to center field.
Kochanowicz allowed four runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
New York loaded the bases in the eighth inning against Connor Brogdon before adding an insurance run on Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly.
The Angels threatened in the bottom of the eighth with runners on the corners and one out, but the Yankees escaped unscathed when Leiter struck out Neto and got Nolan Schanuel to ground out.
Jo Adell had a pair of singles for the Angels, who have scored one run total in their past two games while recording a total of eight hits.
