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Yankees hit four homers, beat Mets

May 22, 2011 - 5:53 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett pitched into the seventh inning and got help from four Yankees homers in a 7-3 win over the Mets on Saturday that evened their three-game series.

Burnett (5-3) struck out four and allowed three runs on six hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings for the Yankees, who snapped a six-game home losing streak that was their second-longest in 21 years.

Russell Martin and Mark Teixeira belted two-run homers, while Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez had solo shots off losing Mets starter Chris Capuano (3-5). Rodriguez and Derek Jeter both had two hits and two runs scored in the win.

The Mets, after taking Friday's opener 2-1, can still earn a rare series win in the Bronx, where they are just 2-11 all-time in series against their New York rivals.

Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to start Sunday's finale for the Mets against the Yankees' Ivan Nova.

The Mets got two of their runs in the first inning after each of the first three batters reached base.

Jose Reyes doubled for the first of his three hits, while Daniel Murphy singled and Carlos Beltran walked, setting the stage for Jason Bay's sacrifice fly. Justin Turner lined a two-out single into right field to score the second run.

After the early trouble, Burnett settled down.

"He was in a rough spot and he got away with only two runs," said the catcher Martin. "That was big. And then from there on he battled, got ahead of hitters and just competed the whole game."

The Yankees hit two-run homers in the second and third innings to take the lead for good.

Rodriguez singled to lead off the second, then came home on Martin's blast to left field. Jeter hit a one-out single in the third and scored on Teixeira's homer to right to make it 4-2.

Reyes got the Mets another run in the fifth when he singled with one out, stole second base and scored on Beltran's single to right.

But the Yankees belted two more homers in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead and knock Capuano from the game. Granderson led off with his 15th homer of the season and Rodriguez hit his ninth with one out, chasing the Mets starter for Pedro Beato, who retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Granderson is second in the majors in home runs, trailing only red-hot Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista. Granderson is on pace to hit 55 homers this season after slugging no more than 30 before.

"There really is no rhyme or reason to what's going on," said Granderson. "Everything is very similar. Bats are the same, stance is the same, weights are the same."

Capuano gave up six hits and struck out five in his 5 1/3 innings without issuing a walk. The left-hander has lost four of his last five starts (1-4).

"Any time you give up four home runs," said Capuano, "you feel a little punch- drunk, like you're in a prize fight."

Reyes chased Burnett from the game with a one-out single in the seventh, and Murphy greeted reliever Boone Logan with a base hit after the change. David Robertson then struck out Beltran and got Bay on a pop up to end the threat.

The Yankees got their seventh run without a homer after Jeter singled to lead off the eighth, stole second base and moved to third on Granderson's fly ball. He scored on Teixeira's sac fly.

Joba Chamberlain pitched a perfect eighth inning and Luis Ayala had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth for the Yankees.

Game Notes

The Yankees had lost six straight at home for only the second time since 1990, and for the first time since an eight-game slide in the Bronx from May 16-26, 2003...Turner has driven in a run in seven straight games, breaking the franchise rookie record he shared with Ron Svoboda, who went six straight from August 22-26, 1965...Jeter has an active 24-game home hitting streak against the Mets dating to June 28, 2003...Burnett, who lost all three of his starts against National League teams last season, improved to 5-6 against the Mets.