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NYY@CIN: Posada lines a two-run homer over the wall

  • 142 wins
  • 110 wins

CINCINNATI -- Jorge Posada wasn't sure he'd get more than a handful of pinch-hit at-bats during the Yankees' visits to National League parks, but he vowed to make the most of whatever opportunities came his way.

Making a rare start at first base, Posada cracked his first home run in nearly two months, helping to lift the Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Reds on Wednesday, the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

"Home runs happen," Posada said. "I don't know when's the last time I hit one, but I wasn't trying to hit one. They happen for me. I don't care when they do happen, I'm happy they are."

New York moved into position for a potential sweep of the long day of baseball with Posada's seventh homer of the season and first since April 23, a two-run sixth-inning blast off right-hander Mike Leake.

"Jorgie got a huge hit for us," manager Joe Girardi said. "That's a big lift for us. We've been able to give him some at-bats, but it's tough when you play all these Interleague games in a row."

The blast by Posada provided right-hander Freddy Garcia with enough support to log his sixth victory of the year. Garcia's soft-tossing arsenal limited the Reds to two unearned runs and three hits over seven innings.

"For the first three innings, I was a little off," Garcia said. "But after the fourth inning, I pitched my game. I tried to make my pitch, the wind was blowing in from right field.

"They hit a couple really good balls, and [right fielder Nick] Swisher made a good play [on Drew Stubbs, in the second inning]. I just tried to pitch the game that I was pitching, and that's how we win."

Cincinnati's only damage coming courtesy of a fifth inning that featured two Ramiro Pena errors.

Filling in at third base for Alex Rodriguez, Pena committed a throwing error that allowed Stubbs to reach base, with the toss glancing off the left side of Stubbs' face.

Edgar Renteria singled and Ryan Hanigan followed with a bouncer to third that Pena scooped, firing a one-hop throw to home plate that catcher Francisco Cervelli couldn't handle as Stubbs slid home safely.

A Fred Lewis sacrifice fly knocked in Renteria with the other run off Garcia. Pena also committed an eighth-inning error on a Stubbs grounder that shot through his legs, giving him three miscues for the afternoon -- a first, Pena said.

"Never in my life -- not even in Little League, Minor Leagues, nothing," Pena said. "It was weird, man, but it happened. Good thing we won."

With Garcia done after 89 pitches, Cincinnati had the tying run at the plate in the person of reigning National League MVP Joey Votto in the eighth inning, coming after Dave Robertson allowed a two-out single to Brandon Phillips.

But Robertson struck out Votto swinging to quell the threat, setting up Mariano Rivera to pitch a breezy ninth inning to log his 19th save in 22 opportunities.

"Really, it's the same thing it always is -- be aggressive, but don't give him something he can hit out of the ballpark," Robertson said. "I ended up 0-2, throwing him a pitch that he can hit out of the ballpark, and I got away with it."

New York got to Leake for four runs and five hits in six innings.

The first two Yankees runs scored in the third inning, as Brett Gardner legged out an infield hit and scored on a Swisher groundout, and Robinson Cano knocked in Curtis Granderson with an RBI single.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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