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Yankees hit four homers in win over Indians

May 8, 2008 - 9:21 PM By Larry Fleisher PA Sports Ticker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees could not find any offense to support Andy Pettitte and Chien Ming-Wang the previous two days. They found enough on Thursday to avoid another sweep at Yankee Stadium.

Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Yankees recorded a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians to salvage the finale of the three-game series.

Johnny Damon hit a solo shot and Jason Giambi added a two-run blast in New York's three-run fourth off Paul Byrd (1-3), who was making his first start here since pitching the decisive Game Four of last year's Division Series.

The three runs were not enough for Mike Mussina (5-3), who promptly gave back the lead in a 35-pitch fifth inning that saw the Indians rally on a two-run double by Casey Blake and an RBI single by Kelly Shoppach.

But the Yankees pushed across a run in the bottom half to regain the lead and give Mussina his fourth consecutive win. Cano started the inning with a double to right, moved to third on Betemit's flyout and scored on Damon's bloop double to left.

"This team has a lot of confidence," Damon said. "We're 18-18 and not much has gone right. We've had a few guys slumping. We haven't been able to get runs with runners in scoring position.

"Hopefully, all that stuff is over. Hopefully, we can get out there and play baseball and play very good baseball."

The Yankees added insurance in the seventh as Cano homered with one out in the inning to end Byrd's outing. Betemit followed with a blast to center field off reliever Masa Kobayashi

"That's huge," Giambi said. "That's one thing we haven't been doing. We've been getting our hits, but we haven't been adding on - and that's big in this game."

The Yankees concluded their nine-game homestand with four wins and also tied a season high with four home runs. They were swept last week by Detroit for the first time since 1966, swept Seattle and were scoreless for 17 innings in losing consecutive home games to Cleveland for the first time since September 2000.

"There were hits up and down the lineup," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "It was very nice to see."

Perhaps more importantly, the Yankees got three of their home runs from players batting at or well under .200.

Giambi is now hitting .163, Cano .172 and Betemit, who is filling in for the injured Alex Rodriguez, .200. The Yankees also have been playing without injured catcher Jorge Posada.

"You've got to go out and play with who you have," Mussina said. "These guys (Rodriguez and Posada) are going to be down for a little bit and we have to go out there and play good baseball with them on the sidelines.

"We have players that are capable of playing. They may not go out there and hit 50-something homers, but they're capable of going out there and doing the job."

Mussina allowed three runs and four hits in five innings. He struck out three without a walk, throwing 58 of 86 pitches for strikes.

After that, it was the bullpen's turn to ensure the Yankees would not get swept for the second time on the homestand.

Ross Ohlendorf allowed a hit in two innings, before Joba Chamberlain needed just 13 pitches in a perfect eighth, rebounding from Tuesday's outing when he gave up a three-run homer to pinch hitter David Dellucci.

Mariano Rivera became the 39th played to make 800 career appearances and worked around a one-out double to Ben Francisco to record his ninth save in as many opportunities. Rivera has yet to give up a run this season.

Byrd allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also allowed three home runs for the third time this season and was unable to pitch the Indians to their first sweep here since April 1989.

Byrd also gave up three home runs to the Yankees in a 6-4 win in Cleveland on April 25.

"He's allowed six home runs to them this year," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "You have to keep the ball in the ballpark. The big ball got to him today."

"Home runs just killed me today," Byrd added. "I just couldn't get the ball down and away. And those guys were in on it."

Damon opened the scoring by sending a 3-2 pitch over the right-field fence. Four batters later, Giambi drove the first pitch inside the right-field foul pole and into the upper deck for his first home run in New York since August 17 against Detroit, a span of 72 at-bats.

It also was Giambi's sixth home run of the season and third off Byrd.