Pujols' Hot Bat Leads Angels Over Yankees, 2-0

ANAHEIM (AP) — One of the New York Yankees' breakout Baby Bombers had another solid start Sunday. He didn't get much support, though, and one of baseball's most decorated active veterans ruined the kids' bid for a sweep.

Chad Green limited the Angels to one run and five hits in six innings, but Albert Pujols had three hits and scored twice to lead Los Angeles over the Yankees 2-0.

Green (2-3) followed up his 11-strikeout performance on Monday in Toronto with five strikeouts and one walk while matching his career high for innings. Yankees manager Joe Girardi called it a solid performance from the 25-year-old, even though he was missing a key pitch.

"He didn't have his cutter today," Girardi said. "But he still found a way to get through it all and give up one run. He was a little bit different today, but the good thing was that he found a way to get through it."

After winning the first two games of the series, New York entered four games over .500 at 63-59 but for the fourth time failed to move five games over, putting an added emphasis on winning the next series in Seattle.

"I think it's really important," Girardi said. "If pitchers get on a roll, a lot of things can happen. You can put really good streaks together and that's really important now."

Jhoulys Chacin (4-8) allowed six hits over 5 2/3 innings, struck out four and walked one in his first scoreless start since April 12.

"It felt good, not just for me, but for the team, too," Chacin said. "I wasn't trying to do too much. I was just trying to throw strikes."

Pujols scored both runs on singles by Andrelton Simmons. That was enough offense for Chacin, who had been 0-4 in five starts and eight relief appearances since beating Minnesota on June 14.

Deolis Guerra, JC Ramirez and Fernando Salas followed with hitless relief. Salas pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Pujols had his seventh three-hit game this year. Aggressive baserunning allowed him to score from second on Simmons' first single. Pujols went from first to third on C.J. Cron's single and scored on Simmons' two-out single just beyond the reach of second baseman Starlin Castro.

"Something that's lost in everything is Albert going first to third in the eighth inning," Scioscia said. "That opened up a hole there at second base where Castro was playing."

One night after tying former St. Louis teammate Mark McGwire for 10th on the career home run list at 583, Pujols nearly surpassed his close friend. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made a leaping catch at the wall in the fifth to deny Pujols a two-run homer.

New York was 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Mark Teixeira hit an inning-ending flyout to leave the bases loaded in the fourth. After the Yankees put two on with one out in the eighth, Ramirez struck out Didi Gregorius and retired Castro on a ground out.

"Our opportunities, we have to take advantage of them when we get them," Girardi said. "We weren't able to do that today."

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