ANAHEIM — Joe Girardi’s bullpen issued six walks in the eighth inning and three of them were with the bases loaded, so it’s impossible to entirely blame the mess on Laz Diaz.
However, the Yankees certainly weren’t letting the plate umpire off the hook for Monday night’s 4-1 loss to the Angels in front of 39,701 at Angels Stadium.
With the count 1-0 to Brett Gardner, the bases loaded and the score tied in the eighth with no outs, Diaz called a low strike that in Girardi’s mind changed the entire at-bat.
When Girardi said something from the dugout, Diaz ejected him. That didn’t stop a livid Girardi from getting in Diaz’s face for more than a minute.
“It changed the whole at-bat,’’ said Girardi, who watched Gardner strike out and Derek Jeter ground into a rally-killing double play from the clubhouse. “I mentioned to Laz, respectfully, about a pitch to Kelly Johnson. I am not a little kid, I don’t need to be scolded. That was the biggest part of the game.’’
Asked if he believed Diaz instigated the situation, Girardi said: “Yes.’’ Asked if he believed Diaz has a problem with the Yankees, Girardi said: “That’s something you would have to ask him.’’
On the instigating charges, Diaz said: “You can’t argue balls and strikes. I don’t see how that’s instigating.” As for the possibility the Yankees believed the problems surfaced in prior at-bats, Diaz said: “Every at-bat, every pitch, every inning is new. Once it happens, it’s over with.’’
“No one comes to see Laz, I can tell you that,” Girardi said.
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It was the Yankees’ fifth loss in six games and sixth in nine, and the blame fell heavily on the limp lineup that started the game batting .240 in the previous eight games in which the Yankees scored 28 runs (3.5 per game) and batted a woeful .103 (6-for-58) with runners in scoring position.
It also didn’t help that Shawn Kelley, who was ejected by Diaz after being taken out of the game, Matt Thornton and Preston Claiborne walked in runs in the eighth when the Angels stretched the lead to 4-1.
“It was 1-1, there is no telling what happens at 2-0,’’ said Gardner, who fanned three times and went 0-for-4. “It was a frustrating game for me at the plate and I didn’t get the job done.’’
In his initial start of the season and first game action since two innings of relief on April 23 at Boston, David Phelps allowed a run and three hits in 5 ¹/₃ innings. He certainly made a case to stay in the rotation while Michael Pineda is on the disabled list.
A bases-loaded walk by Kelley to Yankee killer Howie Kendrick with two outs in the eighth forced in a run that put the hosts ahead, 2-1. Kelley was replaced by left-hander Thornton to face the lefty-swinging Ian Stewart.
After Kelley was removed, he was standing in front of the Yankees dugout when tossed.
Thornton’s walk to pinch-hitter John McDonald, a career .236 hitter, forced in a run for a 3-1 Angels lead. Claiborne followed Thornton and walked Chris Iannetta for another run.
Derek Jeter, who broke an 0-for-14 slide with a second-inning single, opened the seventh by bouncing a grounder inside the third base bag for a leadoff double. That started a “Let’s Go Yankees’’ chant.
Jacoby Ellsbury moved Jeter to third with a grounder to the right side. With Mark Teixeira at the plate, the Angels put three infielders on the right side and played the infield halfway in.
Teixeira beat the shift with a single over the infielders and in front of right fielder Collin Cowgill to right that scored Jeter and tied the score, 1-1.
Teixeira’s inability to field Erick Aybar’s routine grounder leading off the sixth brought Mike Trout to the plate, but Phelps got Trout to foul out to Teixeira and was then lifted for Adam Warren with Albert Pujols about to hit.
The newest member of the 500 Home Run fraternity ripped Warren’s first pitch for a single to left and sent Aybar to third.
Girardi challenged the play and the safe call stood. That put runners at first and third for C.J. Cron, who fouled out and left it up to Yankee killer Kendrick, who entered the game hitting .351 (71-for-202) in his career against the Yankees.
Kendrick, who tripled and scored in the fifth, grounded weakly to the right side to strand two and keep the Yankees’ deficit at 1-0.