NEW YORK — Derek Jeter homered
twice, Jorge Posada snapped out of a slump with his first grand slam in
nearly six years and the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros 9-3 on
Saturday.
Javier Vazquez (6-5) pitched seven
solid innings for his third straight win and fourth in five starts.
Jeter hit a leadoff shot and drove in
four runs for the Yankees, who roughed up struggling left-hander Wandy
Rodriguez and beat Houston without ailing slugger Alex Rodriguez (right
hip) for the second consecutive day. New York moved a season-best 16
games over .500 at 39-23 with its seventh straight home victory – also a
season high.
Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee hit long
solo homers for the Astros, who had won three straight and eight of 10
before arriving at Yankee Stadium.
In the bottom of the first, Jeter sent
a 2-0 pitch from Wandy Rodriguez (3-9) into the Houston bullpen for his
24th career leadoff homer, tying Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson for the
franchise record.
Pence opened the second with a drive
over the Astros' bullpen into the rarely reached left-center bleachers,
about 430 feet from home plate.
Jeff Keppinger's third-inning RBI
double put Houston ahead 2-1 but the Yankees came right back in the
bottom half, when their first five batters reached safely.
Jeter drew a leadoff walk, stole
second and went to third on catcher Humberto Quintero's throwing error.
Nick Swisher hit an RBI single, Mark Teixeira walked and Robinson Cano
reached on an infield single that deflected off Wandy Rodriguez's glove,
loading the bases.
Batting right-handed, Posada went with
a low-outside pitch and lifted it to right-center for his eighth career
slam and first since July 26, 2004, at Toronto. He snapped a 4-for-34
skid since coming off the disabled list and became the eighth player to
hit 250 home runs with the Yankees.
Waiting for medical clearance to get
back behind the plate, Posada has been limited to DH duties since he was
activated June 2 after being sidelined with a broken right foot.
Wandy Rodriguez was lifted after
consecutive walks to start the sixth. One out later, Jeter homered to
right-center off Jeff Fulchino to make it 9-3.
It was Jeter's ninth career
multihomer game and first since Aug. 27, 2006, at the Los Angeles
Angels.
Vazquez scattered six hits, struck
out six and did not walk a batter for the first time in 11 starts this
season. After a slow start in his second stint with the Yankees, the
right-hander has gone seven innings in each of his last three outings.
David Robertson and Chad Gaudin
finished up.
Wandy Rodriguez was tagged for eight
runs, seven hits and five walks in five-plus innings, dropping to 1-5 in
his past six starts.
NOTES: Astros manager Brad Mills said
left-hander Tim Byrdak was available out of the bullpen after a
cortisone shot Friday helped his ailing lower back. Byrdak pitched a
scoreless eighth. … Houston slugger Lance Berkman is 1 for 23 in six
games on this road trip. … With the Yankees ahead 6-2, speedy Brett
Gardner replaced Marcus Thames (strained right hamstring) in left field
to start the fifth. Gardner sat out the previous two days with a
sprained left thumb but took batting practice before the game and said
his thumb felt good. Thames went for an MRI. … Kevin Russo started at
third base in Alex Rodriguez's place and batted ninth. … It was
Jeter's first leadoff homer this season. … The Yankees are 21-7 at
home. … A roar went up before the eighth inning when the giant video
screen in center field showed that the United States and England were
tied at 1 in their World Cup opener. … It was military appreciation
day at Yankee Stadium.