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Jack Kochanowicz mowed through his first three innings against the Yankees on Monday night.

The 6-foot-7 sinkerballer was doing all of what manager Ron Washington asked of him before the game: pitch to contact and let his defense do the work.

"Just be Jack,” Washington said. ‘Throw his sinker, change, eye-level, put the ball in play early — which is when he's at his best. That's what he does. So that's all. I'm not looking for him to be nothing more than that, and if he's that, it'll be good enough."

Nine up, and nine down on 28 pitches — Kochanowicz looked “good enough.” He was hurling just as efficiently as he did against the Dodgers on May 16 when he limited the Angels’ crosstown foes to just one run across 6 ⅔ innings. As he jaunted to the mound for the fourth, the crowd woke up, rising in volume; but not for Kochanowicz.

Read more:Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman

“Let’s go, Yankees,” the fans in the right-field seats of Angel Stadium bellowed, much like the “Bleacher Creatures” would back in the Bronx. First baseman Ben Rice singled, and then center fielder Trent Grisham did too. Following a rousing ovation, designated hitter Aaron Judge — who upped his batting average to a league-high .398 — loaded the bases on an infield single.

As Yankees fans roared louder, Kochanowicz hiccuped. The sophomore starting pitcher walked Cody Bellinger on four pitches to bring in a run, and two batters later, Anthony Volpe hit a bases-clearing double off the center-field wall to power the Yankees (33-20) to a three-run lead. It was more than enough to take down the Angels (25-28), who struggled to string together hits for the third consecutive game in a 5-1 loss to open the series.

“Always just comes down to pitch calling,” Kochanowicz said. “It's very easy to ask yourself a million questions about every pitch you throw, but I think I just — I came at them hard that inning. I didn't start anyone off with the breaking ball. So that was probably it.”

Shortstop Zach Neto led off the bottom of the first with a 440-foot solo home run to center field — the longest of his career — but it was all the Angels had to offer at the plate. Before the game, Washington called his offense young and inconsistent.

The Angels offered more of those characteristics against the Yankees and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.

Outside of a fluke infield single from Jo Adell, Neto's home run was all the Angels mustered against the funky, sidearm delivery of the New York southpaw through six innings.

“The way we were swinging the bat, I did think that we would have at least three or four guys in that line of constantly clicking,” Washington said after the Angels were limited to five hits. “Miami come up in here and put us away, and then now we fight to try to find it back again.”

Yarbrough easily dispatched Chris Taylor — who started in center field and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his Angels debut — for a flyout and second baseman Kevin Newman for a strikeout to end the fifth.

“Yarbrough did a good job,” Taylor said. “Shut us down for the most part.”

The sixth inning was no better as the top of the Angels' lineup went down 1-2-3 and Yarbrough exited with his longest and arguably best start of the season, striking out seven. The Angels struck out 11 times in the game.

“Sustaining that offense that we had,” Washington said when asked before the game about matching the offensive rhythm of the Angels’ eight-game winning streak, “it’s impossible.”

Read more:Angels upbeat about their future despite dropping back-to-back games

Outside of his four-run, fourth inning, Kochanowicz was in the “midseason form” he described himself in on Sunday. The right-hander pumped his fastball as high as 97.3 mph and averaged 95 on his sinker, both a tick below his season averages. Four of his 6 ⅔ innings concluded in 1-2-3 fashion.

“I thought he was good, really,” Washington said. “Those first three innings, he was dominating. … If we could just take [the fourth inning] back it’d be a different ballgame.”

Kochanowicz struck out five and walked two, giving up just five hits. But the Angels' offense didn’t back up their pitchers, sending them to a three-game losing streak.

Note: Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe was removed from the game in the eighth inning after being hit in the head on a backswing from Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas. O’Hoppe was removed as a precaution, Washington said, and was unavailable for comment after the game. “[O’Hoppe is] telling me he can play [tomorrow], but we’re going to wait and see,” Washington said.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Left-handerRyan Yarbrough's impressive May as a starting pitcher in the Yankees' injury-bitten rotation featured his best outing yet Monday at the Los Angeles Angels. He shoved for a season-high six innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven and walking two in New York's 5-1 win to open a series with the Angels.

Takeaways

1. The Yankees made a late offseason move by signing Yarbrough to a reported one-year contract worth $2 million and an additional $500,000 in incentives, and the move is aging well. Yarbrough, 33, is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 35.1 IP over 12 games (four starts). He entered the rotation in May and has been more than what New York could have hoped for, following his season-high eight strikeouts in last Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers with Monday's gem. Yarbrough allowed a leadoff home run against Zach Neto on a 2-2 changeup at 78 mph in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead, but shoved from there. In a season where the Yankees are without ace Gerrit Cole for the year and started with 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil on the 60-day injured list, production such as this one from Yarbrough is invaluable.
2. Anthony Volpe's bases-clearing double over center fielder Chris Taylor's head in the fourth inning gave the Yankees the lead at 4-1 and Yarbrough and New York's bullpen enough room to work with. Volpe, who picked up Jasson Domínguez's strikeout swinging in the previous at-bat, now has five RBI in his past three games after he scratched two across during this past Saturday's 13-1 win at the Colorado Rockies. Through 52 games, Volpe is slashing .244/.323/.440 with six home runs and 31 RBI.
3. Cody Bellinger bounced back from an 0-for-4 game in Sunday's 5-4 win at the Rockies and was the only Yankee with two hits Monday. Bellinger's four-pitch walk with the bases loaded and none out in the fourth inning set the table for Volpe's game-changing knock. On the season, Bellinger has a .268/.337/.475 slash line with eight home runs and 32 RBI through 48 games.
4. The Yankees (33-20) are winners in seven of their past eight games. They have three straight victories and lead the American League East Division by 5.5 games.

Who's the MVP?

Yarbrough, who needed little run support and passed the baton to the bullpen's 7-8-9 shutdown.

Highlights

Cody Bellinger works a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk! pic.twitter.com/HMkp4D6mGi

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025

ANTHONY VOLPE CLEARS THE BASES!

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/HmiseQhvdP

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025

A sacrifice fly for Austin Wells! pic.twitter.com/oSD9LZvc0C

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 27, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Angels (25-28) continue their three-game set at Angel Park in Anaheim, Calif., with Tuesday's 9:38 p.m. start. New York is set to go for the series win with left-hander Carlos Rodón (6-3, 2.88 ERA) on the mound while Los Angeles starts fellow southpaw Tyler Anderson (2-1, 3.60 ERA).

Tyrone Taylor is a winning player.

The veteran outfielder finds a way to make his mark for the Mets night in and night out.

Sunday it was with his arm -- he ranged over into right-center in the top of the first and made a terrific throw to the plate, gunning down the speedy Mookie Betts trying to score on a potential Will Smith sacrifice fly.

Then on Monday, he came through with his bat.

With the game tied at one apiece, Taylor dug in, leading off the top of the ninth against White Sox reliever Steven Wilson. And with the count evened at 2-2, he crushed a high fly ball into the left-center gap. 

Speedy CF Luis Robert Jr. ranged back and attempted to make a terrific sliding grab on the warning track, but the ball dropped in off of his glove and Taylor ended up at second base with a leadoff double.

“It was a good pitch,” Taylor said. “I was just trying to be on time for a fastball up close to me and I was able to put a good swing on the sweeper -- I was probably staring at it in the air too long, but I’m glad it dropped in.”

The Mets certainly had to be glad, too, as Jeff McNeil was intentionally walked and Luis Torrens laced a single to load the bases before Francisco Lindor lifted a first pitch walk-off sacrifice fly to deep right.

Lindor’s third walk-off of the season will be what’s remembered the most from the thrilling come-from-behind victory, but that wouldn’t have been possible without Taylor’s hustle and big knock to get things started.

The 31-year-old has been more known for his glove to this point in his career, but he’s been excellent for the Mets on both sides of the ball of late.

With the offense struggling to get back into a groove, he’s provided a much-needed spark at the bottom of the order -- hitting .286 with a .366 OBP in May and recording hits in eight of his last nine appearances.

“I see a guy that has a lot of confidence [right now],” Lindor said. “I see a guy that feels like he can hit every pitch, a guy that gives good at-bats every single day -- he’s been doing this for a long time, but this year the first couple days of the year it seemed things weren’t going his way.

“All of a sudden now he’s picking it up. He lengthens the lineup. He’s making the bottom of the lineup look really good, so I’m proud of him with the work he puts in day in and day out. He goes out there and gives everything he’s got.”

The Mets’ pitching continues getting the job done. 

Clay Holmes put together another strong effort on Monday afternoon -- working around traffic to help keep the team in the ballgame as they struggled to get anything going against their former teammate, Adrian Houser. 

The White Sox scratched across a run in the top of the fourth when the first two batters of the inning reached on a walk and a double and then Andrew Benintendi lined a sacrifice fly to shallow left field. 

But Holmes limited them there with some help from his defense. 

Pete Alonso made a beautiful diving play with two outs and a man on third in the top of the first and a few innings later Jeff McNeil layed out to rob Mike Tauchman on a leadoff single in the sixth.  

Chicago did get a rally going against Holmes later that inning -- loading the bases with two singles and a walk, but José Butto entered and got young catcher Edgar Quero to ground out to McNeil to end the inning. 

“I felt good today,” Holmes said after stretching out to 100 pitches for the first time. “I had a chance to work a little deeper, but that sixth inning I started getting some traffic and the pitch count got up. Overall, I was able to get some groundballs early and settled in a little bit.”

Huascar Brazoban then found himself thrown into some trouble in the seventh, as Josh Rojas drew a walk and then advanced to second on a stolen base, but the right-hander escaped the threat with some help from another diving play by Alonso. 

Brandon Nimmo made a running snag to help Brazoban keep the leadoff man off the bases in the eighth. 

Later that inning, with a man on and two outs, Carlos Mendoza turned to lefty José Castillo to put on the finishing touches and after walking Austin Slater on 11 pitches he struck out the next batters with just three. 

Edwin Diaz then kept his recent dominance going -- working around a walk in a easy top of the ninth before the Mets rallied to walk it off. 

“Big day for the bullpen,” Holmes said on their dominance behind him. “We had a few guys come in at different points with runners on and shutting the door there was huge -- that really kept us in it and gave us a chance to win the game.”

As a group, they combined to put together 3.1 more hitless innings. 

“They were throwing strikes and making pitches when they needed,” Mendoza said. “Butto came in with the bases loaded, gets to a 3-2 count and was able to execute a pitch to get out of the inning then goes back out. 

“Brazoban comes in and is able to give us a couple ups on a day I was trying to keep it at 20 pitches. Castillo comes in and gets a huge out and then Sugar attacking. Overall, those guys coming out the bullpen just making big pitches and attacking hitters.”

It had been a while since the Dodgers’ last stress-free win.

Over their previous nine games entering Monday, the team had won just three times — and needed extra innings after blown ninth-inning saves in two of them, and a late-game go-ahead home run from Teoscar Hernández in the other.

Such theatrics underscored the club’s underwhelming play in recent weeks, with manager Dave Roberts bemoaning everything from poor fundamentals, to continued pitching injuries, to a lineup that had most of all gotten back out of sync.

Read more:Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman

“We’ve got to kind of lock in our hitting zone,” Roberts said Monday afternoon, “and continue to take good swings.”

In a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Memorial Day, the Dodgers finally did.

While Yoshinobu Yamamoto cruised through a six-inning, two-run start, the club’s lineup was waking from a recent lull that had seen them fail to top five runs (excluding extra innings) in each of their last seven games.

Shohei Ohtani provided an early spark, hitting a leadoff home run for the second straight game to take the MLB lead with 19 long balls. Andy Pages added an RBI single in the second inning, before the Dodgers mounted two extended rallies in the fifth and sixth, scoring two runs in each inning.

The bullpen was shakier, with Alex Vesia stranding two runners in the seventh before Tanner Scott — coming off two blown saves in his previous three outings — worked around José Ramírez’s second double of the game in the eighth for Cleveland (29-24).

But in the top of the ninth, Will Smith punctuated the night with a home run over the tall left-field wall at Progressive Field to ensure the Dodgers (33-21) got back in the win column.

Read more:The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Adrian Houser struggled mightily during his brief time with the Mets.

The right-hander ended up being designated for assignment after pitching to a 5.84 ERA across 23 appearances (seven starts) while being bounced back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation.

Houser then found himself stuck working his way back to the majors, until last week.

After landing with the Chicago White Sox on a one-year big-league deal, he immediately jumped into their starting rotation and provided a much-needed veteran arm for the young and struggling club.

And, of course, his turn came around for the series opener Monday afternoon.

Taking the Citi Field mound for the first time since being released by the club he delivered a terrific outing -- limiting his former teammates to just three hits and a walk while striking out six over six-plus scoreless innings.

“He was nasty today man,” Tyrone Taylor said. “His sinker was working really well, his changeup off of it was good and he was mixing in his slider good too -- I talked to him after, that was gross.”

“He was really good,” Carlos Mendoza added. "The way the ball was coming out it was 95, 96. The movement, I thought the changeup was good and he kept attacking. He didn’t shy away from contact -- we had a few at-bats where guys were up there swinging at the first pitch and he kept them in the ground.”

Houser is now just the sixth player in franchise history to throw six-plus scoreless innings in each of his first two starts with the White Sox.

Luckily for the Mets, they were able to overcome the revenge game and rallied for two runs off of the sluggish Chicago bullpen -- walking things off on Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

“Houser was really good for them, it was just a great team win,” Lindor said.

The Mets keep getting the job done late in games. 

New York was stymied by old friend Adrian Houser over the first seven innings on Monday afternoon, but it was finally able to string together some knocks after getting into the shaky White Sox bullpen.

Francisco Alvarez has been struggling against fastballs of late, but he squared up a 2-2 offering low in the zone from left-hander Cam Booser to get things started leading off the eighth with a single.

Luisangel Acuña then came off the bench, and his speed made an immediate difference as he went first to third on a Brandon Nimmo single to right and then scored the tying run on a Juan Soto flyout to shallow left.

“Alvarez’s ability to work an at-bat was a good sign,” Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s where it starts -- getting on time allows you to make good swing decisions. It was good to see him getting us going there in the eighth.”

“Acuña there is a real weapon for us,” the skipper added. “Even though he’s not getting everyday playing time, you feel like at some point he’s going come in and he’s going to help you do something to win a baseball game.”

An inning later, the Mets were able to pull out that victory. 

After Edwin Diaz worked around a two out walk in the top of the ninth, Tyrone Taylor continued his stretch of strong play on both sides of the ball by driving a 2-2 sweeper into the left-center gap for a leadoff double.

Jeff McNeil was then intentionally walked and a Luis Torrens single loaded the bases for Francisco Lindor, who jumped on a first pitch sweeper and crushed it to deep right for a game-winning sacrifice fly. 

“I was just looking for something in the area I wanted, and it showed up,” Lindor said after picking up his third walk-off RBI of the season. 

“The moment is never too big for him,” Mendoza added. “He’s aggressive with pitches to hit and he’s got conviction when he’s making those decisions -- that’s what great players do over and over and over, and he keeps doing it for us.”

The Mets have now delivered five walk-off wins on the season.

They've also shown that fight that was on display so often during their NLCS run last year, coming from behind in 13 of their 33 victories on the year thus far.

“No matter what inning it is, we trust our guys,” Taylor said.

“It puts a smile on our faces,” Lindor added. “There’s different ways of winning games and today was one of them. Going first to third, sac flies, good defense, the bullpen coming in and doing the jo -- whenever it seems like things aren’t clicking, things are clicking. It’s a good thing.”

The Mets walked off the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Monday afternoon at Citi Field.

Here are the takeaways...

- Adrian Houser struggled during his brief time with the Mets, and he was DFA'd after just 69.1 innings. As expected, though, the righty was spectacular while making his first outing back at Citi Field with the White Sox. He held New York to just two baserunners while striking out six the first two times through the order.

- Fortunately for the Mets, Clay Holmes did a good job of matching Houser early on. The right-hander found himself in immediate danger as the White Sox pushed a man into scoring position with a leadoff walk and a groundout in the first, but a diving stop from Pete Alonso helped end the threat.

Holmes then went on a stretch where he retired the next six batters in order, before Chicago struck in the fourth. After Mike Tauchman walked and Miguel Vargas doubled to leadoff the inning, the White Sox scratched across the games opening run on a sacrifice fly.

After a scoreless fifth, he returned for the sixth but couldn't finish the inning after the White Sox loaded the bases with two outs. José Butto entered and closed out the frame unscathed -- solidifying his final line with just the one run allowed on four hits and three walks.

Holmes was squeezed by home plate umpire John Libka, but he still finished just one out shy of putting together his fifth quality start in his last seven outings.

- Butto came back out for the seventh, but he was pulled after allowing a one out walk. After the runner advanced into scoring position on a stolen base, Huascar Brazoban was helped out by another diving play from Alonso to strand him there.

- With 88 pitches, Houser returned for the bottom of the seventh and allowed Juan Soto and Alonso to reach on a walk and bloop single before being lifted -- a two out walk to Tyrone Taylor loaded the bases, but Jeff McNeil struck out looking to end the inning.

- The Mets were finally able to strike in the eighth against lefty Cam Booser. Singles from Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez put runners on the corners with one out for Soto -- who lifted a two strike sacrifice fly to shallow left, evening the game at one.

Brett Baty had a chance to put them in front with the bases loaded and two outs, but he flew out to right.

- After Edwin Diaz put together an easy top of the ninth, the Mets quickly loaded the bases with a Tyrone Taylor double and two walks -- Francisco Lindor then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving the Mets their fifth walk-off win of the season.

Game MVP: Francisco Lindor

The star shortstop just missed crushing a walk-off grand slam but settled for the sac fly.

Highlights

Pete Alonso makes the diving stop and Clay Holmes makes the stretch as the Mets save a run! pic.twitter.com/yykqK2KgBL

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

Francisco Lindor makes the backhand pick for the out 💪 pic.twitter.com/qGTXS27vWw

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

Juan Soto with a sacrifice fly, Luisangel Acuña scores and the game is tied in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/ZRMBWQT8Ej

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

A scoreless 9th for Edwin Díaz 🎺 pic.twitter.com/zVtY9yVDHx

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2025

What's next

The Mets and White Sox return to action on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Tylor Megill (3-4, 3.56 ERA) goes for New York and will be opposed by RHP Shane Smith (1-3, 2.36 ERA).

Former Dodgers utilityman Chris Taylor signed a one-year, major league minimum contract with the Angels on Monday.

Taylor will start in center field against the New York Yankees on Monday and bat eighth.

Angels prospect Kyren Paris, who was struggling at the plate in recent weeks — hitting just .190 — was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Taylor on the roster.

“He’s been through the wars,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Taylor, adding that the Angels plan to use him in the outfield and the infield. “He's a good piece for those young guys to talk to about how to handle a grind. He’s been in a grind over there with L.A., every day, winning, and we want that.”

Released by the Dodgers in the final year of his four-year, $60-million contract last week, Taylor was hitting .200 with seven hits in 35 at-bats before entering free agency. Washington is hopeful Taylor's reputation for being a quiet clubhouse leader will help revive an Angels team two games under .500.

“I'm excited to stay home — I get to live at home,” Taylor said. "The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I'm excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn't getting on the field that much. So I'm really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time."

A career .250 hitter and a one-time All-Star, the 34-year-old Taylor has experience playing in the infield and all three outfield positions, adding versatility and depth to an Angels team waiting for outfielder Mike Trout’s return from the injured list (knee). Taylor said general manager Perry Minasian and Washington told him he’d be playing three to four times a week. Taylor believes he’ll be slotted into the lineup at center field Tuesday as well.

“First and foremost, I want to perform on the field,” said Taylor, who attributed his multi-season batting slump to swing mechanics. “I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven't performed to how I feel I'm capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.”

Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who played alongside Taylor on the Dodgers from 2016 to 2021, learned of Taylor’s signing while on his way to Angel Stadium.

“It’s nice to have him back,” said Jansen, who said he spoke to Minasian about Taylor on Sunday. “I think once he gets more playing time here, I think, you know, it's going to be great for the organization and help us win ball games.”

Read more:Angels upbeat about their future despite dropping back-to-back games

When asked about Taylor’s release Wednesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his former longest-tenured position player was looking for an opportunity to play more often rather than accepting a demotion to triple A.

“He wanted an opportunity, if it wasn't going to be here to play more, to play somewhere else,” Roberts said. “So that's kind of the thought behind how it played out, and I respect him for betting on himself and hopefully get an opportunity to play more somewhere else."

Taylor should get those opportunities with the Angels. As he put it, playing at Angel Stadium is a fresh start, an opportunity to regain his previous form in the batter’s box.

"It was emotional,” Taylor said of his Dodgers departure. “I've been on the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh, hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter. I'm excited to do that here.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.