Yanks' 1st 1-0 win over Angels since 1970 seals sweep

May 29th, 2025

ANAHEIM – Aaron Judge glanced toward the third-base dugout, seeking eye contact with Ron Washington. The Angels' manager had just issued a second intentional walk in as many innings, a show of respect that the reigning American League MVP acknowledged with a wink and a tip of his batting helmet.

That gesture preceded boisterous laughter from Washington, a baseball lifer who clearly had no interest in allowing Judge to beat his club.

Someone else would have to, and that's exactly what happened: hurled six scoreless innings and the bullpen finished the job as the Yankees completed a sweep with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday evening at Angel Stadium.

"I guess that’s what a sports fan feels like when you’re watching the games -- you’re on the edge of your seat,” Schmidt said. “We were in here cheering every pitch, every strike. It’s a lot of fun.”

With both Luke Weaver and Devin Williams unavailable due to fatigue, Mark Leiter Jr. was assigned the ninth inning and notched his second save of the season, freezing Logan O’Hoppe on a called third strike to seal New York's first 1-0 win over the Angels since April 30, 1970.

Leiter insisted the pitch, a 74.8 mph curveball, nicked the zone from his vantage point. With a wry grin, catcher J.C. Escarra confirmed what the television broadcast showed, and what O’Hoppe briefly protested into the ears of home plate umpire Ben May: it was off the plate and outside. Chalk it up as an excellent frame job by the 30-year-old rookie Escarra.

"Definitely a ball, way out there,” said Escarra, still smiling despite having absorbed numerous welts from a rough night behind the plate. “That’s what we work on every day, to help our pitchers and steal strikes. That one was really special, because it was to win a ballgame.”

Leiter would eventually accept that explanation, remarking, “That went our way, then.”

And the 34-year-old’s performance has been more in line with what the Yanks expected last summer, when they acquired Leiter from the Cubs. Manager Aaron Boone described Leiter as “fearless” and said his pitches seem “crisper,” noting that Leiter’s two-seamer has jumped two to three mph. That helps the effectiveness of his breaking ball and splitter.

"I’ve been working on mechanics, finding a little bit of a different focus with how to generate velocity,” Leiter said. “It definitely helps if your stuff gets better. It gives you a little uptick.”

Last week at Yankee Stadium, former Major League hurler Al Leiter lauded his nephew’s recent success, noting: “He’s kind of now in a place where he’s very comfortable with who he is, what he is, what he needs to do to be good.”

Long before Leiter entered, before Ian Hamilton notched four outs and Tim Hill threw one pitch that generated an inning-ending grounder, the Yankees’ fifth consecutive win (and 16th in 20 games) was set up by Schmidt’s stellar four-hit outing.

The right-hander got ahead frequently against the suddenly punchless Halos, who managed just three runs in the series after averaging 7.6 runs per game during their recent eight-game win streak.

"We have guys with great stuff, and guys who throw strikes and execute,” Schmidt said. “It’s a credit to this pitching staff. It seems like every year we talk about how good our pitching staff is, and it’s like everybody steps up and does their jobs.”

They needed to, because runs were in short supply. Yusei Kikuchi limited the Yanks to a run on four hits over five innings, surviving five walks (including Judge’s pair of intentional free passes). In the first inning, the Halos walked Judge with first base open and one out, setting up an Anthony Volpe sacrifice fly that sent Paul Goldschmidt chugging home standing up.

"I didn't really like the intentional walk there, but it's the manager's decision, so we'll just go with it,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima.

The Angels rolled the dice again in the second inning, after a two-out Trent Grisham double placed runners at second and third bases. Washington raised four fingers to send Judge to first base, which prompted Judge’s cap tip and grin. It worked: Bellinger flied out to left field, leaving the bags loaded.

Washington said Judge offered a glance before leading off the fifth inning, flashing four fingers as if to ask: Again? (Instead, Judge skied a 1-2 Kikuchi changeup to right field.)

"He's dangerous,” Washington said. “I don't know what would've happened in that game if I wouldn't have walked him those first two times. You don't mess with that. I don't care how he's swinging the bat. You don't mess with that if you don't have to.”

Judge became the first Yankee to be walked intentionally twice in the first two innings of a game since Gene Woodling on Aug. 30, 1953, per YES.

As Boone spoke in the visiting managers’ office, the music thumped a few decibels louder in the players’ area, rattling a black-and-white picture that depicted Angel Stadium under construction. Boone attributed it to the good vibes of a series sweep and anticipation for Thursday’s off-day, one in which no jet engines would be required.

Munching on In-N-Out Burgers as they snapped duffels closed, the Yankees didn’t have far to travel, preparing to bus up Interstate 5 for a World Series rematch with the Dodgers -- a weekend series that will double as a test to examine how (or if) things have changed since October.

"It’s going to be great to see how we stack up against them,” Judge said. “I think the boys in here are all excited and ready to go."