Pittsburgh Pirates 1 — New York Yankees 7
The Yankees ride the bats of four home runs in tonight’s win.
After yesterday’s game got postponed to tomorrow’s doubleheader, the rested bats got to Pirates starter Edinson Volquez. With one on and one out, Mark Teixeira hit his third home run of the week, his ninth of the season to give the Yankees a two-run lead. In the third inning, left fielder Zoilo Almonte made the most of a last-minute start after Jacoby Ellsbury was scratched from the lineup with flu-like symptoms. With the first at-bat in the majors for the season, Almonte hit a booming solo home run in the third inning.
David Phelps got the start today and put forth a bend, not break start. In five innings, Phelps allowed a baserunner in every inning. In the second inning, Phelps put the first two on with a hit batter and a walk before escaping his own jam.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates did Phelps a favor and his outfield helped him too. After a leadoff single by Starling Marte, first baseman Ike Davis struck out looking at a pitch and Marte’s attempt at stealing would involve a little less effort to reach for the base, easily getting thrown out for two outs. A double would follow that made the caught baserunner loom large. Phelps would give up a single to shallow right field where Alfonso Soriano threw home and Brian McCann would keep the Pirates off the scoreboard with a play at home that was easily made.
In five shutout innings, David Phelps allowed five hits and walked three while striking out five. It was not quite worth writing home about, but it got the job done.
The Yankees like the leadoff home run. After Almonte’s third inning home run, Brett Gardner opened the sixth inning with his third home run of the season. Alfonso Soriano opened the seventh inning with his sixth home run of the season and the Yankees fourth of the night.
The Pirates’ lone run came in the sixth inning off of Dellin Betances. After his stellar performance in the last game of the Subway Series, Dellin Betances received a reality check from Starling Marte, whojumped on a fastball and put it into left field for a solo home run. Betances responded with three straight strikeouts, one on a curve and two on fastballs, a typical day from Dellin Betances it seems.
In his second inning of work, Dellin Betances benefited from the confidence of The Captain. Catcher Tony Sanchez opened the seventh inning with a fly ball into right center field. Brett Gardner fielded the fly ball and threw it to second to get Sanchez before he could get a double. The initial call was out but Derek Jeter was so confident that he tagged Sanchez on the jersey, Jeter called for the challenge.
Captain wins the challenge and gets the next two outs to end the inning.
In the eighth inning, Brian McCann would hit his sixth home run of the season, a two-run variety. This tied the season-high for the Yankees with five home runs. Adam Warren and Matt Daley would pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, respectively, to take the first game of the three-game series.
Win – David Phelps (1-0)
Loss – Edinson Volquez (1-4)
Notables
Pirates
*Starling Marte – 3 for 3, R, 2B, Solo Home Run (3) in the 6th, RBI (10)
*Tony Sanchez –Â 2 for 4
Yankees
*Mark Teixeira – 1 for 4, R, 2-Run Home Run (9) in the 1st, 2 RBI (20)
*Alfonso Soriano – 2 for 4, R, 2B, Solo Home Run (6) in the 7th, RBI (17)
Current Yankees Record: 22-19
