The Angels bedeviled Phil Hughes for 6 runs on 9 hits in New York's 10-2 loss. (Photo by Bill Menzel)

YANKEE STADIUM -- It was clear from the beginning of the Yankees' 2-game series-opening, 10-2 defeat at the hands of the L.A. Angels of Anaheim (51-45) that New York starter Phil Hughes never had it.

In 5 innings (plus 2 hitters), the Angels rocked Hughes for 6 runs on 9 hits, which included 2-run home runs from shortstop Maicer Izturis (2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI) and catcher Mike Napoli (3 for 5, HR, 4 RBI).

"My command really wasn't there," Phil Hughes (L, 11-3) said after the game. "I feel like I made some strides in Seattle. Tonight was a step in the wrong direction. I got to make better pitches earlier."

"It came down to location," Jorge Posada added moments later. "It's frustrating because we scored early, but I told him [after the game] to keep his head up."

As the veteran catcher alluded to, New York (58-34) went ahead in the first inning, 2-0, after Nick Swisher hit his 17th home run of the season and Mark Teixeira scored on Jorge Posada's RBI groundout (4-6 fielder's choice) with the bases loaded.

It appeared as though the Yankees were going to make quick work of 22-year-old starter Sean O'Sullivan (W, 1-0), but said appearance couldn't have been any more deceptive.

O'Sullivan threw 5 scoreless and hitless innings after the first, finishing his night with 6 innings pitched with 2 runs allowed on 2 hits.

"He mainly had a changeup and slider after [the first inning]; he had our number," Nick Swisher told writers. "That's baseball, man. It happens."

Following the Yankees' 2-spot in the first inning, the Angels got one back in the second, cutting the lead in half on short stop Maicer Izturis' RBI single up the middle.

In the third, Tori Hunter (2 for 3, RBI) tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI single up the middle that scored Erick Aybar from second. Hughes, facing former Yankee Hideki Matsui (2-run HR, 2R) with men at the corners, induced the left-handed hitting DH to hit into a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Hughes, however, wouldn't be as fortunate in the fourth, as Izturis, who got L.A. on the board earlier with a run-scoring single, hit a 2-run homer (3) to right that gave the Angels a 4-2 lead.

Hughes' night came to an abrupt end in the sixth, when catcher Mike Napoli hit a 2-run homer (17) of his own to extend the Angels' lead to 6-2.

"He didn't have command of his fastball and got beat with his cutter," said Joe Girardi of his 24-year-old starter's rough outing. "When you don't have command, it's hard to compete at a high level."

New York manager Joe Girardi was ejected in the sixth for arguing a play at first base, and in the seventh, Hideki Matsui ejected reliever Chan Ho Park's 0-1 changeup into the right field stands - a 2-run blast - for his 11th homer.

About his ejection, Girardi said, "First of all, I don't think I should've been thrown out. I didn't say anything to get thrown out; I was shocked when I got tossed.

Manager Joe Girardi wasn't enamored with the umpiring crew last night. (Photo by Bill Menzel)

In garbage time, i.e., the ninth inning, Napoli added to his RBI total for the game, knocking in a pair off reliever Chad Gaudin with a 2-run single that made it 10-2, the eventual final score. Napoli finished with 4 runs batted in last night, and with his 3 hits in 5 at-bats, he currently has a career .391 (27-for-69) batting average against the Yankees.

The Yanks will look to bounce back this afternoon (1:05 p.m.) behind Javier Vazquez (7-7. 4.45 ERA), who'll take the mound opposite Angels starter Joel Pineiro (10-6, 3.95 ERA) in game 2 of the 2-game set.

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