Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Mark Teixeira and Brett Gardner each had two hits and two runs batted in, as the New York Yankees roughed up Fausto Carmona in an 8-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Robinson Cano doubled and slugged his 19th home run of the season for the Yankees, who have won two of three so far in this four-game series. Alex Rodriguez finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, but remained stuck on 599 career homers. It has been six games since he hit No. 599 versus Kansas City last Thursday.
The Yankees totaled 13 hits — six for extra bases — and all the offense made a winner of A.J. Burnett (9-8), who allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out seven in 6 1/3 shutout innings to win for the second consecutive start. He threw five scoreless innings Friday against the Royals.
Carmona (10-8) lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season. He gave up seven runs on 10 hits and a walk, and threw 73 pitches.
“I think the key for us was swinging at strikes,” Rodriguez said. “After the first two innings he had 40-plus pitches. That’s always a key for us is to make him throw as many pitches as we can. Even when we make outs, make productive outs.”
Trevor Crowe had three hits for the Indians, who lost for the fifth time in their last seven games.
“He was locating his fastball to the corners as well as I’ve ever seen it,” Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner said of Burnett. “Then late in the count he was throwing the curveball and getting some strikeouts. He was good tonight.”
The Yankees got on the board in the first inning, when Teixeira hit a two-out double and Rodriguez followed with a base hit. But Carmona’s troubles emerged in the next two innings, as the Yankees nearly batted around each time.
In the second, Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli, and Gardner hit consecutive one-out singles to make it a 2-0 game. After Gardner stole second, Carmona fanned Derek Jeter, but walked Nick Swisher. Teixeira made Carmona pay by ripping a two-run single to right field.
Cano began the third with a double, and scored two batters later as Granderson tripled. Carmona rapidly fell apart, hitting Cervelli on the left elbow before Gardner doubled to right. Cervelli was thrown out at home on Jeter’s ground ball to first, but Swisher lined a single to left to get Gardner across the plate for a 7-0 lead.
That hit ended Carmona’s night. Hector Ambriz came in and walked Teixeira to load the bases, but struck out Rodriguez to end the inning.
Ambriz allowed one run — a leadoff homer by Cano in the fourth — over his 2 1/3 innings. The Indians’ bullpen did not allow a run the rest of the way, but Cleveland was too far behind, and its offense didn’t take advantage of opportunities. The Indians went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
The game began after a 42-minute rain delay…The Yankees’ Jorge Posada returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game with left knee soreness. He went 1-for-5…Carmona’s ERA jumped from 3.51 to 3.92. He also fell to 1-4 with a 6.53 ERA in 10 career games (seven starts) against New York…The Indians have been shut out nine times this season.