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| Ellsbury powered NY to victory. Photo Credit: NY Post/Charles Wenzelberg |
Jacoby Ellsbury’s two run home run into the short porch in right field off starting pitcher Mike Leake in the fifth inning broke a 2-2 tie and ultimately turned out to be the difference in the game as the Yankees went on to beat the Reds 4-3 in their first game coming out of the All Star break.It was Ellsbury’s seventh round tripper of the season and a very timely one at that for New York.
By: Sunil Sunderraj
David Phelps went 6 1/3 innings yielding three runs on six hits, walking one but striking out seven Reds hitters to even up his record on the season at 4-4. David Robertson closed out Cincinnati in the ninth inning to earn his 24th save of the season.
The Yankees opened up the scoring in the first inning as Brian McCann ripped a double into the right field center gap scoring Brett Gardner from second base. Earlier in the evening, Gardner swiped his 16th base of the season stealing second base. Cincinnati tied the game up at 1-1 in the third inning on a leadoff solo shot by Brayan Pena into the right field seats.
New York reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the third inning on a two out Carlos Beltran single into center field plating Derek Jeter from second base.
In the fourth inning, a series of miscues by the Yankees led to Cincinnati nodding the game up at 2-2. On a potential double play grounder up the middle Brian Roberts bobbled the ball attempting to scoop it up with his glove. The second error of the inning on a hard hit bouncer by Devan Mesoraco to Jeter which kicked up off the heel of his glove and his throw to first base was too late. Zack Cozart scored from third base on the play.
Pena’s second solo blast of the game coupled with a base hit from Chrius Heisey forced Joe Girardi to make a pitching change. Despite not pitching in the All-Star game in Minnesota, Dellin Betances displayed no effects of rust striking out three Reds hitters in a row. At one point , he topped out at a blazing 99 miles per hour on the radar gun.
New York improved to 48-47 and on a ten game home stand. Their record at home is 19-23. The Yankees play a major league record high 40 games at home in the second half of the season.
The series resumes on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium as Alfredo Simon 12-3, 2.70 ERA faces off against newly acquired pitcher Brandon McCarthy who is making his Yankee Stadium debut posting a record of 0-0 with a 1.35 ERA. 