Yankees 7, Pirates 1: Yankees hit five home runs in win

In the first inning, Mark Teixeira hit a home run. In the third inning, Zoilo Almonte hit a home run. In the sixth inning, Brett Gardner hit a home run. There appears to be a trend developing here. The Yankees hit five home runs on the day (only two of which were Yankees Stadium Specials) as they beat the Pirates 7-1.

The Yankees got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first. With one out, Derek Jeter reached on a single. Teixeira then hit a home run that just cleared the wall in right field. After one inning, the Yankees led 2-0. A couple innings later, the Yankees added to their lead when Almonte led off the third with a monster home run to right, making the score 3-0.

The Pirates managed three hits in the top of the fourth, yet scored no runs, thanks to a strike him out throw him out double play and Alfonso Soriano throwing a runner out at the plate. After escaping another jam in the fifth, David Phelps' day would be over. He went five innings allowing no runs on five hits and three walks. He did a decent job stranding runners and keeping the Pirates off the board.

In the top of the sixth, Dellin Betances was brought in. The first pitch Betances threw was hit for a home run by Starling Marte. After that Dellin went back to being Dellin. He struck out the next three Pirates to limit the damage to just one run.

The Yankees then went and got that run right back in the bottom of the sixth when Gardner led off the inning with a home run. That made the score 4-1.

Tony Sanchez led off the seventh with a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. He was originally ruled safe, but Jeter immediately called for the replay himself. Jeter was shown to be right as he very clearly tagged Sanchez before the runner was close to the bag. That was the only real highlight from an otherwise uneventful seventh inning from Betances.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees added more thanks to yet another dinger. Soriano led off the inning with a fourth Yankee home run, making it 5-1.

Adam Warren came in and pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the eighth. And in the bottom of the eighth? You guessed it: another home run. Gardner drew a lead-off walk and three batters later Brian McCann homered to make the score 7-1.

With a six-run lead, Matt Daley was brought in to try and finish off the game in the ninth. And he did. Daley pitched an easy 1-2-3 inning to seal a 7-1 win for the Yankees.

The Yankees and Pirates will play a double header tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. The first game will start at 1:05 eastern. Hiroki Kuroda and Charlie Morton will be your starters. Vidal Nuno and Gerrit Cole will pitch the second.

Box score.