ANGELS BULLPEN GAMES ARE A THINGThe eight pitchers

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Romine never expected to replace Aroldis Chapman as the Yankees’ closer.A backup catcher http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-robin-ventura-jersey , Romine was leaning on the dugout railing and watching New York get blown out by Boston in Game 3 of the AL Division Series when bench coach Josh Bard walked up to him in the eighth inning.“Can you throw?” Romine recalled Bard asking.“I can try,” the seven-year big league veteran replied.Romine became just the second position player to pitch in postseason history. The 29-year-old right-hander — has he ever been called that before? — allowed Brock Holt’s two-run ninth-inning homer, completing the first-ever postseason cycle. Romine got the last three outs of New York’s 16-1 loss Monday night, the largest margin of defeat for the Yankees in their 396 postseason games.“No, I didn’t envision myself getting in these playoffs in that role,” said Romine, whose previous playoff experience was one start at catcher plus one inning as a late substitute against Houston in last year’s AL Championship Series.Luis Severino was chased in the fourth inning with a 3-0 deficit that Lance Lynn and Chad Green quickly allowed to become 10-0. Yankees manager Aaron Boone cycled through Jonathan Holder and Stephen Tarpley.With New York trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, Boone wanted to keep David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton and Chapman fresh for Game 4.“You hate doing something like that,” Boone said.Infielder Cliff Pennington was the first position player to take the mound in the postseason, entering in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2015 AL Championship Series with Toronto trailing Kansas City by 10 runs. He gave up a pair of singles, the second driving in two runs, before an inning-ending flyout in a 14-2 defeat.Romine had not pitched since 2007, his senior year at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California. Gary Sanchez said Romine had two pitches: fastball and slower fastball.With the Yankees trailing by 13 runs, he threw from 64-90 mph in an 18-pitch outing, using a three-quarters delivery and a short windup in which he didn’t lift his hands above his armpits as he rocked and dealt.“You got to change speeds or they’re going to hit it out Early Wynn Jersey ,” Romine said.Romine started Xander Bogaerts with an 80 mph pitch on the low, outside corner for a called strike, then gave up a 111 mph smash to third for a groundout. Rafael Devers grounded out. Fans rose to their feet when he went to a 2-2 count on Ian Kinsler, who walked.Holt turned on his first pitch, 79 mph at the knees on the inner part of the plate, and pulled it 355 feet just inside the right-field foul pole and over the short porch.“You get a little antsy when a position player is on the mound,” Holt said. “I scooted up in the box a little bit, and I was going to be swinging at anything and try to hook anything.”Christian Vazquez followed with a flyout to right.Romine’s first professional pitching line: one inning, two runs, one hit, one walk.“I would have liked to have fun with it,” he said, “but really, I was just trying to get out of the inning.” ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels nearly came through with a no-hitter in a bullpen game.However, Blake Parker gave up Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single to right with one out in the eighth inning for Texas’ first hit and the Angels held on for a 1-0 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night.“I left that ball up to Isiah Kiner-Falefa,” Parker said. “If I get that down, it’s probably a ground ball.”The Angels’ starting rotation was decimated by injuries this season Avisail Garcia Jersey , paving the way for what was the fifth bullpen game of the season. Jim Johnson made his second career start and pitched 1 1/3 innings. He was followed by Noe Ramirez, Hansel Robles, Cam Bedrosian, Justin Anderson and Jose Alvarez, who combined to get through seven innings without giving up a hit.Parker found difficulty in the eighth. After Kiner-Falefa’s single to break up the bid, he got pinch hitter Ronald Gumzan to fly out to left field, then allowed a sharp single by Rougned Odor. Scioscia opted to change pitchers, and those two hits would be all the Rangers could muster. The Angels got out of the inning on a nice defensive play at third base by Kaleb Cowart with runners on second and third.“(Odor) was out front a little bit and he got some good wood on it and it fell in,” Parker said. “I was glad (Ty) Buttrey came in and nailed that down for us and kept us in it.”As he walked off the mound, Parker looked to the sky and smacked his hand lightly in his glove in obvious disappointment he wasn’t able to keep the no-hitter going.Ramirez (5-5) got the win, and Buttrey earned the save.“They made some great plays behind their pitchers, and I thought their pitchers did a heck of a job retiring 12 in a row at one point,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “We had a couple opportunities early but couldn’t cash in. We stayed in the game well. During the eighth, we gave ourselves an opportunity.”Jose Fernandez hit his first career home run for the Angels in the second inning, adding another milestone to the 30-year-old Cuban’s rookie season after making his major league debut June 8.“I feel very proud of what I accomplished and helped the team to win,” Fernandez said through a translator. “I’m very happy to be here. It’s a great moment.”Catcher Joe Hudson made his major league debut for the Angels, calling a game for eight pitchers in a shutout and near milestone game.Hudson obviously knew the no-hitter was on the line, and he figured it would happen as the game wore on.“I’d be lying if I told you no http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-frank-thomas-jersey ,” he said. “I had a good feeling we’d get through it after the seventh. Almost.”Adrian Sampson (0-1) made his first start for the Rangers this season and second career start. His last previous start was with Seattle in 2016, but his career went off track when warming up for what was supposed to be his second start with the Mariners. He was injured, had to have surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and worked his way back.Sampson allowed Fernandez’s homer among two hits in five innings.Fernandez got the silent treatment from his teammates when he walked through the dugout, arms outstretched looking for teammates to high-five. When he got to the end of the dugout, Mike Trout splashed him in the face with a cup of water.“He actually said that a few days ago so I was expecting that,” Fernandez said. “He wanted my first home run to be celebrated that way, throwing water on my face.”ANGELS BULLPEN GAMES ARE A THINGThe eight pitchers used in a nine-inning shutout ties the major league record last done by the Angels on Aug. 30, 2014, against Oakland.LAST NO-NOJered Weaver threw the last no-hitter for the Angels on May 2, 2012, against Minnesota.LONG TIME BETWEEN STARTSJohnson made his last start in his major league debut with Baltimore in 2006. He made 666 relief appearances between starts.TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: RHP Nick Tropeano (right shoulder inflammation) will have a plate-rich plasma injection Friday and after 10 days begin his rehab program. He will not return this season.UP NEXTRangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (8-4, 6.22 ERA) is 1-3 over his last five starts after a 7-1 stretch before that. He faced the Angels once this year, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings but was not involved in the decision of the Rangers’ 4-2 win Aug. 19.Angels: RHP Felix Pena (2-4, 4.04 ERA) got the win in his last start Friday after allowing two runs in seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks in Chicago He makes his first career appearance against the Rangers and 15th start of the season.