Diamondbacks 3 - 4 Yankees
Final
  for this game

Hafner blasts Yankees past Diamondbacks

Apr 18, 2013 - 5:05 AM

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Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Travis Hafner's pinch-hit tie-breaking solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning completed a late comeback that propelled the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, but scored three times during the inning before moving in front on Hafner's two-out blast off David Hernandez (0-1) a frame later.

Brett Gardner's two-run single in the seventh pulled New York even, while CC Sabathia (3-1) settled down after a shaky beginning to hold the Diamondbacks to three runs on six hits while fanning six over eight strong innings.

The win was the Yankees' third straight and seventh in eight games since a 1-4 start to the season.

Paul Goldschimdt reached Sabathia for a two-run homer in the first inning, while Cody Ross finished 2-for-4 in Arizona's second straight loss in this three-game series.

Wade Miley threw 6 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks and was charged with three runs on four hits.

Miley was in control for the majority of his stint, with the Yankees not advancing a runner past first over the left-hander's first five innings of work as he yielded just one hit along with a walk and a hit batter.

New York finally broke through in the seventh, however, loading the bases with two out on a Ben Francisco single and a double by Brennan Boesch that was followed by a walk to Eduardo Nunez.

Miley then issued a free pass to Jayson Nix that forced in the Yankees' initial run and was removed in favor of Tony Sipp, who was greeted by Gardner's base hit to left that scored both Boesch and Nunez.

"I didn't do my job today," Sipp said.

Hernandez set down the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth, but his first pitch to Hafner was yanked into the bleachers in right center.

"I was just looking for a good pitch to hit, knowing it would be a fastball or breaking ball" Hafner said.

The Diamondbacks then failed to put the tying run on in the ninth, with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera retiring the side in order after taking over for Sabathia.

Miley was quickly supplied with a 2-0 lead courtesy of Goldschmidt, who cracked an opposite-field blast over the short wall in right with A.J. Pollock on in the top of the first. Pollock had reached on a bloop double to begin the contest.

The score remained that way until the fifth, when Josh Wilson opened the frame with a triple into the right-center field gap and came home on a Pollock sacrifice fly to extend the margin to 3-0.

Arizona didn't threaten again, however, with Sabathia mowing down 12 of the last 13 hitters he faced after giving up Wilson's triple.

Game Notes

The win was Sabathia's 23rd in interleague play, tying him with A.J. Burnett and Jamie Moyer for the third-most by a pitcher in MLB history ... The Yankees had been 0-5 when trailing after six innings entering the contest ... Pollock extended his hitting streak to six games and is batting .409 (9-for-22) with six doubles and six RBI over that stretch ... Wilson's triple was his first in the majors since June 6, 2010, which came against the Angels while with Seattle.






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