Yankees game 50: Beltran plates 3 in victory
Carlos Beltran hit a clutch two-run home run in the sixth inning, leading the charge to a win after losing the first two of the series.
New York Yankees 5 – Oakland Athletics 3
The Yankees got it started early and it came from one of the hottest bats in the lineup. After Chase Headley and Alex Rodriguez reached base on a pair of one-out singles, Brian McCann cashed in. With two on and two out, Brian McCann hit a single to right field off of A's starter Jesse Hahn, giving the Yankees the early one-run lead.
In the bottom of the first inning, Nathan Eovaldi would struggle but a fresh face made an instant impact.
The Yankees starter would give up a trio of singles but no runs would score. The first single by Billy Burns, could have been extra bases but a recent call-up, left fielder Ramon Flores, got to the ball and quickly sent it back to the infield to keep the batter at first base. Two outs later, Billy Butler hit a single and Josh Reddick followed with a single of his own. On the Reddick single to left, Flores would come up throwing and he made a great throw, getting the lead runner out at home and preventing the run from scoring.
Eovaldi allowed a hit in the second inning but the third inning is where the hits amounted to anything on the scoreboard.
The A's got to Eovaldi quickly in the third inning when the first three batters reached on singles, loading the bases with no outs. Billy Butler hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Josh Reddick got the A's the lead with a single to center field. Eovaldi minimized the damage to just two but through three innings, Eovaldi allowed eight hits.
A pair of singles in the fourth inning around a pair of outs added to the Athletics' lead, making the score 3-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, Hahn got the first two Yankees out but the third out proved to be elusive for the A's shaky defense. Jose Pirela would get on base for a single when second baseman Eric Sogard could not handle the infield single. Brett Gardner followed with a laser, handcuffing third baseman Brett Lawrie and tagging the enthusiastic third baseman with an error, further extending the inning. With two outs still, Chase Headley made Hahn pay for his defense, hitting a single to center field and bringing in the Yankees' second run of the game, pulling them within one of tying the game.
Nathan Eovaldi exited the game after 4 2/3 innings, in what proved to be a very strenuous night for the right-hander. In 4 2/3 innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs on 11 hits while walking none and striking out two. Eovaldi did not have a hitless inning throughout tonight's start.
With the Yankees trailing in the sixth inning, a one-out walk of Brian McCann started everything the Yankees needed. On an 0-1 pitch, Carlos Beltran took Jesse Hahn deep to center field for a two-run home run, changing the one-run deficit to a one-run lead.
Beltran's fourth home run of the season came at a very ideal time in the game. The bullpen was already in the game, ready to dominate.
After registering a strikeout for the last out in the fifth inning, Chasen Shreve kept it up, striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth inning. In 1 1/3 innings, Shreve faced four batters and struck them all out.
Following Shreve, Justin Wilson got two outs and Dellin Betances got the last out of a scoreless seventh inning.
In the eighth inning, Mark Teixeira reached first and stole second base (yes, really). Carlos Beltran brought home Teixeira on a single to left field to provide an insurance run. Carlos Beltran drove in three runs tonight. Betances would allow a single in the bottom of the eighth inning but he also struck out two batters, finishing off the inning with a fly out.
With a two-run lead, Andrew Miller took over in the ninth inning. Miller quickly got three outs and wrapped up the Yankees win.
In his debut, Ramon Flores was hitless in four at-bats but made a handful of great plays in the field.
Win – Chasen Shreve (2-1)
Loss – Jesse Hahn (2-5)
Save – Andrew Miller (15)
Notables
Yankees
*Carlos Beltran – 2 for 4, R, Two-run home run (4) in the 6th, 3 RBI (21)
*Chase Headley – 3 for 5, R, RBI (23)
Athletics
*Josh Reddick – 3 for 4, RBI (31)
*Marcus Semien – 2 for 5, R, RBI (16)
Current Yankees Record: 26-24