The New York Yankees used the long ball to cruise past the Cleveland Indians 14-1 Tuesday and have now won three straight games after losing four of their first five. The Yankees hit five home runs on the day, including Robinson Cano’s third homer in two games.
Cano led the Yankees in the 14-1 rout, finishing four-for-six at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored. With the huge day at the plate, Cano raised his average to .303 through the first eight games.
Andy Pettitte got the start for the Yankees and gave up one run on five hits in seven innings of work. Pettitte struck out four in the contest on his way to his second straight win to start the season.
Pettitte helped the Yankees avoid a sweep by the Boston Red Sox in the opening series at Yankee Stadium in a 4-2 win last Thursday. After the win over the Indians Tuesday, Pettitte is now three wins away from 250 in his career and just seven starts away from 500.
The Yankees gave Pettitte all the run support he would need Tuesday and then some as Cano wasn’t the only Yankees player to find the outfield bleachers. Ichiro hit a solo home run in the third, and Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run shot in the sixth before Lyle Overbay and Brennan Boesch both homered in the eighth.
Every Yankees starter had a hit in the game outside of designated hitter Travis Hafner as they handed the Indians their second straight loss. Carlos Carrasco was on the mound for the Indians and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning after giving up the home run to Cano.
Brett Myers came into the game in relief of Carrasco, and the Yankees were all over him too as he gave up seven runs over the next five innings. Carrasco and Myers combined to give up 18 hits in the game as the Yankees bats came alive for the second straight night.
The Indians only run came in the sixth inning when Asdrubal Cabrera hit a solo homer off Pettitte. Ex-Yankee Nick Swisher had two hits for the Indians after going 1-for-3 with a run scored in game one against his old team.
The two teams face again Wednesday in game three of a four-game set and Ivan Nova will take the mound for the Yankees. The Indians have yet to announce their starter, but the Yankees won’t stress it too much with the way their swinging the bats.
The Yankees have scored 25 runs in the past two games and are now just a game and a half back of the Red Sox in the American League East. Can the Yankees hold their ground in the AL East after multiple setbacks in the spring?
[Image via Keith Allison ]