The Yankees’ list of perpetual tormentors became a little shorter yesterday when the Red Sox traded Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers. Any chance the Angels can get shipped to the National League, too?
The team that most gives the Yankees convulsions, turning them into a collection of chumps, didn’t waste any time distributing punishment last night. Andy Pettitte looked as if he didn’t know what hit him during the Angels’ six-run third inning that doomed the Yanks in their 12-6 loss at the Stadium.
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The Angels (68-40) have the best record in the majors, including victories in 14 of their last 17 games, but the Yankees don’t need those numbers to realize what they are facing in this series. The fact the Yanks have lost 22 of their last 34 games against the Angels resonates loud and clear.
“This is a very good team and we know we have to play at a high level to beat them,” Joe Girardi said.
Pettitte (12-8) had his second-worst outing of the season, allowing nine earned runs and sending the Yankees (59-49) to their fourth loss in five games. The Yanks fell 4½ games behind idle Tampa Bay in the AL East.
“We worked the count and we got Pettitte, one of the nastiest lefties in the game,” said Torii Hunter, one of three Angels to hit a three-run homer last night. “This shows we are not messing around.”
On top of Pettitte’s troubles, the Yankees went quietly against Jon Garland (10-6) and didn’t make noise until the game was all but decided. Bobby Abreu hit his third homer in two games and Xavier Nady also homered as part of the Yanks’ 12-hit attack.
Ivan Rodriguez’s Yankees debut consisted of a 1-for-3 night at the plate and an 0-for-3 performance throwing out base stealers.
Vladimir Guerrero slugged a three-run homer against reliever Chris Britton in the sixth after the Angels had already hit a pair of three-run blasts against Pettitte three innings earlier.
“A pretty pathetic performance by me,” Pettitte said.
Pettitte was charged with nine earned runs on 11 hits and three walks over 51/3 innings and barely missed allowing the most earned runs of his career. On June 7, the lefty allowed 10 earned runs in a no-decision against Kansas City to tie his career worst.
Pettitte’s night unraveled when the Angels sent nine batters to the plate and scored six times in the third. Hunter and Juan Rivera inflicted the most damage, each with a three-run homer.
“I’ve got one responsibility and that’s to try to give this team a chance to win,” Pettitte said. “I didn’t do it tonight against a good team . . . it’s pretty embarrassing.”
Not only have the Angels owned the Yankees in recent seasons, they are the only team that had a winning record against the Yanks during the Joe Torre era. That included twice eliminating the Yanks from the postseason, both times in the ALDS, in 2002 and 2005.
“They play hard,” Derek Jeter said. “They put pressure on you the entire game.”
Angels 12
Yankees 6
mpuma@nypost.com