ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Yankees’ most severe problem Monday night was not the way they swung the bat, pitched, fielded or ran the bases. Their 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels could be traced to a single shortcoming: They hit the ball in the vicinity of Mike Trout.
Trout, the American League’s reigning most valuable player, patrols center field with an uncommon athleticism and sense of timing, and on Monday he bounded far into the spacious gaps of his home ballpark, stealing drives and squelching rallies.
That Trout hit a solo home run, his 20th homer of the season, was almost beside the point.