Yanks Set Club Record With 12 Runs In First Inning
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Yankees set a franchise record for runs in the first inning, scoring 12 times against Baltimore in the second game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.
Nick Swisher homered and drove in three, following up his big game in the opener. Robinson Cano had a pair of RBI singles and the Yankees sent 16 batters to the plate in an offensive outburst that lasted 40 minutes.
New York banged out 10 hits in its biggest inning since a 13-run eighth on June 21, 2005, against Tampa Bay.
A two-run single by Derek Jeter in his second at-bat chased Orioles starter Zach Britton, recalled from Double-A Bowie before the game. Britton got only one out, throwing a called third strike past Jeter to start the inning.
Mark Teixeira hit a two-run double off reliever Jason Berken, and Swisher added a two-run homer to cap the scoring.
After a walk to Andruw Jones, Berken finally ended the frenzy when Russell Martin grounded into a force play on the 70th pitch of the inning.
Baltimore helped the Yankees with a pair of errors, including a costly one by shortstop J.J. Hardy. Six of the 12 runs were unearned.
Britton, 23, left trailing 7-0 and was ultimately charged with nine runs, six earned, and seven hits. He also walked a batter.
Believe it or not, his previous big league start was nearly as bad. The highly touted left-hander got just two outs on July 8 at Boston, where he was roughed up for eight runs -- seven earned -- and six hits in a 10-3 loss.
After that game, his third straight loss, he was sent down to Double-A, where he stayed for three weeks.
Britton began the night 6-7 with a 4.05 ERA in 18 major league outings this season. He allowed only one run over his first two starts spanning 13 2/3 innings.
Even after their big first inning, the Yankees weren't done.
Eduardo Nunez hit a leadoff triple in the second and Cano capped a three-run inning with a two-run double.
Jones, who hit an RBI double off the top of the left-center fence in the first, added a leadoff homer in the third against
Berken to make it 16-1.
Cano had four RBIs in the first two innings and four hits by the fourth.
New York won the opener 8-3, improving to a major league-best 30-7 in day games.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
