Beltran hits 2 homers as Yanks rout Tigers
NEW YORK -- The Yankees pounced early and often Saturday night, scoring 14 runs on 18 hits to rout the Tigers, 14-3, and clinch the three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Didi Gregorius and Chris Young homered, with Beltran recording the 37th multihomer game of his career. Brett Gardner was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle.
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The scoring started immediately, with Gardner ripping a leadoff triple in the first before coming home on Rodriguez's fielder's choice. The offensive explosion extended into the next four innings with the Yankees scoring two, five, two and three runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, respectively.
The 18 hits the Yankees recorded were a season high and the 14 runs tied a season high. Nathan Eovaldi bounced back from a dismal outing against Miami and got the win, while Alfredo Simon took the loss.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Swinging for the fences: The Yankees recorded five home runs Saturday, marking the 11th time in the past 16 home games they've recorded multiple homers. They've also homered in 25 of their 31 home games this season, hitting 53 total at Yankee Stadium. The five long balls tied a season high.
Video: DET@NYY: Yankees hammer five homers in 14-3 victory
Position switch: Down 13-3 in the eighth inning, the Tigers sent Josh Wilson to the mound. Wilson is a second baseman, though he had thrown three big league innings in his career. Yankees outfielder Young didn't welcome him to his new position kindly, hitting his fourth pitch over the left-field wall for the Yankees' fifth home run of the night. More >
"I'm here to help any way I can," Wilson said. "So to get out there and keep somebody ready for tomorrow, have a little more depth out there so we can come back and try to win tomorrow is a good thing."
Video: DET@NYY: Infielder Wilson pitches 8th for Tigers
Bet on Brett: Gardner nearly hit for the cycle Saturday, recording a triple, a double and a single in his first three at-bats. He's 9-for-16 in his last three games. His dominant performance came on the heels of a strong night on Friday as well, when he had a season-high four hits and a go-ahead two-run homer. More >
Video: DET@NYY: Gardner shows off at plate, in field in win
That's all for us: Trailing 13-0 after five innings, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus pulled Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Yoenis Cespedes from the game. Their replacements -- Nick Castellanos, Wilson and Rajai Davis -- combined to go 2-for-6.
QUOTABLE
"I just think that he's thriving on being back in the game, something that was almost taken away. Sometimes you get up and we can take some things for granted. Just getting up every day we take for granted. And sometimes when you go through some scares, you come back much more relaxed and happy and know how lucky you are to be able to put a uniform on. I think he's thriving off of that." -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi on Alex Rodriguez, who had five RBIs
"It's just one of those blowout games that you have a handful every year, where you get blown out. It's just the timing of it is less than ideal. … After losing a few in a row and you get blown out, obviously the bitterness is more biting." -- Ausmus
WHAT'S NEXT
Tigers: Fresh off a shutout of the Reds, Anibal Sanchez will take the mound for the Tigers. He's starting to find his groove in June, but he is 5-7 with a 4.65 ERA this season.
Yankees: The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound Sunday for the series finale with the Tigers. Tanaka is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA on the season.
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