Mets’ Santana hammered by Yankees in rout
NEW YORK — Robinson Cano was not going to risk facing Johan Santana’s changeup, so he swung at the first two pitches he saw from the Mets’ ace. Good plan. Cano homered on each of his first two swings against the two-time Cy Young Award winner and the New York Yankees hit four home runs off Santana in a 9-1 rout of the New York Mets on Friday night.
Cano’s second shot was the first of three consecutive home runs off Santana, who was coming off a nohitter against St. Louis.
“That’s a guy you want to go and be aggressive because you don’t want to get behind the count,” Cano said. “He’s got some great pitches.”
In the first Subway Series game of the season, Hiroki Kuroda allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings before leaving with a bruised left foot. Kuroda (5-6) gave up only a two-out double in the sixth to Omar Quintanilla, but ended the night hopping out of the clubhouse on crutches.
Kuroda’s first appearance in the crosstown rivalry was cut short when Daniel Murphy hit a liner off the pitcher’s foot. The ball popped up high and was caught by third baseman Alex Rodriguez for the final out of the seventh. Kuroda limped off the field and down into the clubhouse. Yankees Manager Joe Girardi wasn’t sure whether Kuroda will make his next start.
Cody Eppley worked the eighth and former Mets reliever Ryota Igarashi gave up an RBI double to Lucas Duda in the ninth in his Yankees debut before finishing the two-hitter.
Santana (3-3) was given two extra days of rest after throwing a careerhigh 134 pitches last Friday in the first no-hitter in Mets history.
Rodriguez singled with two outs in the third. Cano then set off a barrage of home runs in an 11-pitch span with a drive into the second deck in right, again on a first pitch, for his eighth multi-home run game. Nick Swisher followed with a liner to left field and Andruw Jones hit a high drive to left for a 6-0 lead. NATIONALS 7, RED SOX 4 Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 in six innings, Bryce Harper homered and Washington beat host Boston for the franchise’s first victory at Fenway Park. Strasburg (7-1) threw a career-high 119 pitches. ANGELS 7, ROCKIES 2 Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) homered twice and drove in six runs, leading Los Angeles over host Colorado. PIRATES 4, ROYALS 2 Erik Bedard pitched seven innings, Neil Walker had three hits and host Pittsburgh beat Kansas City. PHILLIES 9, ORIOLES 6 Jim Thome doubled twice, Shane Victorino homered and drove in five runs and Philadelphia beat host Baltimore. REDS 6, TIGERS 5 Wilson Valdez’s squeeze bunt with one out in the 10th inning scored Miguel Cairo as host Cincinnati beat Detroit. RAYS 5, MARLINS 1 Matt Joyce homered, doubled and scored three times, and Tampa Bay beat host Miami. ASTROS 8, WHITE SOX 3 Jed Lowrie, Brett Wallace and Brian Bogusevic homered and Houston beat host Chicago. INDIANS 6, CARDINALS 2 Josh Tomlin scattered eight hits over seven innings, Johnny Damon hit a two-run home run and Cleveland beat host St. Louis. BRAVES 4, BLUE JAYS 3 Jason Heyward stole third base and scored on catcher J.P. Arencibia’s throwing error in the 10th inning as host Atlanta beat Toronto. TWINS 8, CUBS 7 Josh Willingham’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted host Minnesota over Chicago.
National League
BREWERS 9, PADRES 5 Corey Hart hit two home runs, rookie Martin Maldonado connected for a three-run shot and host Milwaukee beat San Diego.