Chris Nelson hit two home runs and drove in five, proving to be the difference as the Angels defeated the Yankees this afternoon. Nelson took Yankees starter Phil Hughes deep for a solo shot to right-center in the fourth inning, boosting the Angel lead to 3-1. In the eighth against lefty reliever Boone Logan with his team leading 4-1, Nelson put the proverbial nail in the coffin, hitting a grand slam to left field. The Yankees rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs, but the added insurance provided by Nelson’s grand slam was the margin of victory as the Angels won 8-4.
The home runs were Nelson’s first and second of the season as he has had a rather bumpy road. Nelson initially started the season as the third baseman for the Rockies, but was quickly displaced by Nolan Arenado. The Rockies traded him to the Yankees on May 1 for a player to be named later. Nelson posted a paltry .521 OPS in ten games with the Yankees, so they put him on waivers. He was selected by the Angels on May 18. Prior to this afternoon, Nelson had compiled a .630 OPS with the Halos after spending time between June 17 and July 30 with Triple-A Salt Lake.
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