Beltran looking to find stroke vs. lefties

NEW YORK -- Carlos Beltran had eight hits in his previous 21 at-bats entering play on Sunday, but that is just one half of the story for the switch-hitting outfielder.

Beltran said that he feels like he is clicking from the left side of the plate, showing off his form by slugging a two-run homer in the Yanks' 7-4 win on Saturday, but he still needs to fine-tune his approach from the right side.

"I feel good at the plate. From the left side, I feel like my swing is there," Beltran said. "From the right side, it's a little bit in-between. That's what happens when you're a switch-hitter. It hard to keep both sides sharp."

Coming into Sunday's game, Beltran was just 1-for-11 with a double against left-handed pitchers this season, compared to 10-for-30 (.333) with two homers and four RBIs against right-handers.

"I feel better every day. But we don't face many lefties," said Beltran, who faced Boston left-hander Felix Doubront on Sunday. "Hopefully I can find something to get me going."

Beltran's career average against lefties is .288, higher than his .281 lifetime mark against righties. Last season with the Cardinals, Beltran hit just .252 (41-for-163) with seven homers and 28 RBIs against left-handers, compared to .315 (123-for-391) against right-handers.