Angels ride D-train in Bronx

When fans mocked the Angels for spending $50 million on Gary Matthews Jr. last winter, arguing he had a career year just in time for free agency, the Angels shrugged.

We don’t expect a repeat performance on offense. We got him for defense.

And, two months into the season, the Angels’ emphasis on defense appears to be paying off. They beat up the New York Yankees on Friday night, 10-6, with home runs from Casey Kotchman and Chone Figgins among a season-high 14 hits, but their defense saved the day.

“We’ve got a great pitching staff,” Matthews said. “If you don’t have a great defense behind it, it’s all for naught.”

See: Angels, 2006.

Got defense? The Yankees didn’t, with the crowd mocking center fielder Johnny Damon’s defensive horror show by chanting, “Bernie Williams! Bernie Williams!”

Got defense? The Angels did, repeatedly saving Jered Weaver from oblivion.

Kotchman, a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman from the day the Angels drafted him, robbed Hideki Matsui of an extra-base hit by diving to intercept a line drive and saved shortstop Orlando Cabrera twice, once by leaping for a high throw and once by digging out a low one. He also started a nifty 3-6-1 double play.

“He saved as many runs with his glove as he drove in,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Cabrera ranged into the hole for a grounder and threw out a runner from one knee.

“Give it up for Kotchman and Orlando,” Weaver said.

And for left fielder Tommy Murphy, who threw out Jorge Posada at the plate as he tried to score from second on a single.

Weaver won but staggered through five innings, giving up three runs, seven hits and three walks on 103 pitches. The Angels broke the game open by scoring three runs in the fifth inning and four more in the sixth, as the Yankees unraveled.

In the fifth, the Angels drew four walks. In the sixth, Damon tried to make a sliding catch of a fly ball. The ball glanced off his glove, and he compounded the misplay with a poor throw. Two batters later, Mike Napoli hit a fly ball to shallow center field. Damon has a notoriously weak arm, so Vladimir Guerrero tagged from third and scored.

Damon, already bothered by a bad back, left the game after the inning because of leg cramps.

Guerrero had three hits. So did Kotchman, who has lifted his batting average from .224 to .286 in two weeks. He credited hitting coach Mickey Hatcher for making a subtle adjustment in his swing, but otherwise he preferred to talk about his defense.

“Defense is always more gratifying than offense, in my opinion,” Kotchman said. “It’s more gratifying to be able to save a pitcher and take runs off the board for the opposition.”

And so he did. The double play he started gave the Angels 56, tied for the major league lead.

The Angels envisioned him as their first baseman last year, but he contracted mononucleosis and did not play after May 9. They signed Matthews for center field, worked rookie Howie Kendrick hard at second base and gave Cabrera a mulligan for his poor defensive year last season.

It’s all coming together now, a pitching-and-defense team with real defense.

“Good pitching with mediocre defense,” Scioscia said, “will really zap the life out of the talent you have on the mound.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com