Yanks Get Homer Happy In Win Over Rockies
By Howie Rumberg
NEW YORK (AP) Eduardo Nunez hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning after shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made an error, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada had consecutive homers and the New York Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 Sunday.
Mark Teixeira homered for New York and Alex Rodriguez drove in a run for his sixth straight game.
Ty Wigginton connected twice for his second multihomer game this week and Chris Iannetta also homered for Colorado.
It was New York's first series win against the Rockies since sweeping a three-game set at the old Yankee Stadium in 2004. New York improved to 22-4 in day games.
Posada walked with one out in the seventh and advanced to second when Russell Martin's sharp grounder hit off Tulowitzki's glove. Nunez singled off Matt Belisle (5-3) and pinch-runner Chris Dickerson crossed home plate with a belly-flop slide.
Joba Chamberlain, out after having Tommy John surgery, immediately tweeted "Do it Nunez!!!" after the shortstop filling in for Derek Jeter, who turned 37 on Sunday, gave New York the lead.
With a handful of pitchers who have thrown no-hitters, including Don Larsen, at Yankee Stadium for the 65th Old Timers' Day, Colorado starter Juan Nicasio did not allow a baserunner until Robinson Cano singled with one out in the fifth.
Larsen tossed the only postseason perfect game, for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series.
Nicasio had been falling behind batters all game but fought back nicely with a fastball that reached 96 mph and hit the corners, but he left a 3-1 pitch over the middle of the plate to Swisher, the next batter after Cano, and the switch-hitter drilled it into the right-field stands.
Posada then got the crowd of 47,894 really rocking with his eighth homer of the year to make it 3-all. It was the third time the Yankees have connected for two in a row this season.
Boone Logan (2-2) got three outs in the seventh, Dave Robertson was perfect in the eighth and Mariano Rivera struck out the side in the ninth for his 20th save
Wigginton gave the Rockies a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a drive to left, his second homer Sunday and 12th this season. Wigginton hit two against Cleveland on Wednesday. He also homered Saturday against New York.
The Yankees evened it up in the bottom half with their first run not scored on a homer. Brett Gardner reached with a perfectly placed drag bunt and stole second. Curtis Granderson walked, ending Nicasio's day.
Belisle relieved and Gardner advanced on Teixeira's fielder's choice. Rodriguez then grounded a single between the third baseman and shortstop.
The 24-year-old Nicasio gave up four runs and four hits in five-plus innings. He struck out two and walked one in his sixth big league start.
Nova, about 5 months younger than Nicasio, allowed baserunners in each of his six innings. The Rockies had runners on with one out in the second and fourth but Nova induced double-play balls to quash any rally.
Wigginton homered in the second, Iannetta connected leading off the fifth and Todd Helton had a sacrifice fly to put Colorado up 3-0.
Teixeira homered after Matt Reynolds brushed him back with a pitch in the eighth. Tulowitzki mimicked his boyhood idol, Jeter, with a jump throw in the hole to end the eighth.
NOTES: The Yankees will start Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia against the Brewers in a series that starts Tuesday. The off day allowed manager Joe Girardi to skip journeyman Brian Gordon. ... Jeter (calf) did light jogging for the second straight day in Tampa, Fla. ... Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Tigers starter Justin Verlander was "the best thing going in baseball right now." ... The Yankees honored restaurateur Elaine Kaufman during their roll call of former players, employees, friends and family that died since the last Old Timers' Day. Kuafman's famed A-list hangout on the upper east side, Elaine's, was a favorite of George Steinbrenner. ... Wigginton has 14 career multihomer games.
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