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LAA@NYY: Cano's grand slam gives the Yankees the lead

NEW YORK -- Robinson Cano made the Angels pay a heavy price for a crucial error, blasting a seventh-inning grand slam to lead the Yankees to a 6-5 victory on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Second baseman Maicer Izturis booted Mark Teixeira's soft tapper, which appeared to be the final out of the inning, sending up Cano with the bases loaded against reliever Scott Downs.

Cano took advantage of the opportunity, pelting the facing of the second deck in right field, earning a curtain call for his fifth career grand slam, and his first since Aug. 22, 2010, against the Mariners.

For Cano, the homer was his second in less than 24 hours, having also homered in the seventh inning on Wednesday, and the first permitted to a left-handed batter by Downs this year.

It made a winner of Rafael Soriano, who hurled a scoreless seventh around his first hit since returning from the disabled list on July 29. He had retired 15 straight batters since being activated.

Curtis Granderson tied the game in the sixth inning, slugging his 32nd home run of the season, and his fourth in the last three games, a two-run blast to right field off right-hander Tyler Chatwood.

That was enough to hand Chatwood a no-decision in his first career game against the Yankees, finishing with eight hits allowed in 5 1/3 innings, with two walks and a strikeout.

The Yankees threatened for more in the sixth, but Hisanori Takahashi caught Eric Chavez looking at a called third strike, and Fernando Rodney struck out Eduardo Nunez swinging to end the inning.

Bartolo Colon took a no-decision for New York, making one glaring mistake over six innings -- Alberto Callaspo's two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Otherwise, Colon was sharp against the club with whom he won his 2005 American League Cy Young Award, logging a quality start by scattering five hits while walking two and striking out three.

Colon pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, getting the help of a sharp play by Nunez to retire Bobby Wilson for the final out of the frame.

After Cory Wade put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth, Mariano Rivera came in and promptly allowed a three-run homer to Russell Branyan. But the closer recorded the final two outs to finish off the Angels.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.