The Angels’ Eric Young Jr. hits a RBI single during the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Angels startrt Matt Shoemaker watches a pitch to the New York Yankees during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS106
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons stops a ground-ball single by New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS118
New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez, right, celebrates his three-run home run with third base coach Joe Espada during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS104
New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda throws to a Los Angeles Angels batter during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS105
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge runs to first base after hitting a fly ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: NYOTK
Los Angeles Angels’ Eric Young Jr. hits a RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: NYOTK
Los Angeles Angels’ Eric Young Jr. watches an RBI single during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS107
New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda walks back the mound after throwing a wild pitch allowing Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols to score during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS108
Los Angeles Angels’ Danny Espinosa, right, leaps to avoid a collision with New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez, who was doubled off second on an unassisted double play by Espinosa on a liner by Rob Refsnyder during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS109
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge walks through the dugout during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS110
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons, left, scores past New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS111
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, left, is tagged out by Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS112
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge slides past home plate after he was tagged out by Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol trying to score on a single hit by Starlin Castro during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: NYOTK
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge kneels near home plate after he was tagged out by Los Angeles Angels catcher Juan Graterol while trying to score on a single by Starlin Castro during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS114
Los Angeles Angels’ Danny Espinosa, left, chases New York Yankees’ Chase Headley before tagging him out during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS115
New York Yankees’ Chase Headley watches his RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS116
New York Yankees’ Starlin Castro reacts after striking out during the seventh inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS118
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons, center, celebrates his two-run home run with Luis Valbuena as New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, right, waits during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS119
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons, left, celebrates his two-run home run with Eric Young Jr. during the seventh inning of the team’s baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS120
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons points upward after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of the team’s baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS121
Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun catches the ball hit by New York Yankees’ Aaron Hicks during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. It was ruled a double after video review. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ORG XMIT: ANS122
ANAHEIM — The Angels’ 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday was chock full of everything that has defined this team so far this year.
There were clutch hits, none bigger than Andrelton Simmons’ tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh, and great defensive plays and impressive bullpen work from two unheralded pitchers.
And, of course, there was a pitching injury.
Matt Shoemaker left the game in the fourth inning with tightness in his forearm. Shoemaker said he’s not concerned, and he’ll be re-evaluated in the coming days. He said he’s not sure if he’ll even need an MRI.
“I’m really annoyed and frustrated by it because I wanted to go out and pitch and help our team win,” Shoemaker said. “I’m not really concerned about it at all. We’re going to see the next couple days how it reacts. It should be fine.”
The Angels announced that tightness was in Shoemaker’s extensor muscle, which is on top of the forearm. Shoemaker said doctors told him that’s the better side to have tightness, because it’s less likely to be related to an elbow injury. When he was shut down at the end of the 2015 season, the tightness was on the other side of his forearm.
Shoemaker said he felt some tightness after his last start, but it had subsided by Tuesday. And he felt fine in the first inning — notwithstanding a hanging slider that Gary Sanchez blasted for a three-run homer — but then it got worse.
His fastball dipped slightly over the next three innings. Although he was getting outs, he knew something was wrong.
“In the second, third, fourth innings, I just felt some tightness on some pitches,” he said. “I don’t know what (the velocity) was, but I knew my fastball was coming out different. I could tell.”
So after Shoemaker gave up back-to-back hits to start the fourth, the Angels summoned trainer Eric Munson to the mound. He returned to the dugout, with Shoemaker.
Shoemaker was particularly frustrated to leave the game at that point because the Angels had just rallied erase that early 4-0 deficit, taking a 5-4 lead.
The list of heroes that maneuvered the game from there until the final out — final outs, to be precise — was a long one.
Simmons belted a two-run homer in the seventh. His seventh homer of the season was the most memorable, something of a tribute to Adrian Beltre, whose signature is the rib-jarring swing that leaves him on one knee.
Asked if he’d ever hit a homer from one knee like that, Simmons said: “Maybe softball. Not baseball. I was on it the whole way. It kept going lower. I didn’t want to pull off. The videos of Beltre kind of helped.”
Simmons’ homer got the Angels another lead on a night that relievers Parker Bridwell and Blake Parker had carried the team through the middle innings. Bridwell took over after Shoemaker left and got through 3-2/3 innings, allowing just an unearned run. He was rewarded for his work with a ticket back to Triple-A, because his 56 pitches would have rendered him unavailable for a few days.
Parker took over in the seventh, striking out Starlin Castro with two runners on to keep the score tied, 5-5.
“Those two guys were sensational,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “The biggest out of the game was Castro in the seventh. Blake Parker just keeps answering the bell and making pitches. He’s been a huge part of our bullpen.”
After Parker got four outs, David Hernandez worked the ninth, with closer Bud Norris having pitched three days in a row. Hernandez got the first two outs without incident, and then Aaron Hicks blasted a ball to the fence in right.
Kole Calhoun leapt and appeared to come down with the catch, setting off the fireworks and the handshakes. The Yankees challenged, though. After a review, umpires ruled the ball touched the fence, so Hicks was awarded a double.
That brought up none other than Aaron Judge, the best hitter in the league so far this year, representing the tying run.
They have won three series in a row, including the last two against the first-place Houston Astros and Yankees. The manner in which they won this game, against a good team, is what left Shoemaker feeling better about his own situation.
“That,” Shoemaker said, “is why I love this team.”
