Starlin Castro hit a third-inning grand slam off Josh Tomlin that gave the Yankees a six-run lead, Mark Teixeira got two hits after tearfully announcing this will be his final big league season and New York beat the Cleveland Indians 13-7 Friday night.
Jacoby Ellsbury had his first four-hit game since May 3 last year, and Michael Pineda (6-10) won for the third time in four outings following a six-start winless streak, allowing four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.
New York's Gary Sanchez made his first league start behind the plate and threw out Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli trying to steal second base in the first two innings. The rookie, called up from the minors on Wednesday, doubled in the fifth for his first big league RBI and walked with the bases loaded in the sixth.
The Yankees had 16 hits, including at least one by every starter, and the Indians failed to retire New York in order in any inning.
Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games, and its AL Central lead over second-place Detroit was cut to two games. Tomlin (11-4) allowed a season-high seven earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings and is 3-3 in 10 outings since an 8-1 start.
Slowed by injuries in the last five seasons, Teixeira said he will retire after this season at age 36. He doubled in the first inning and legged out a single in the third on a ball stopped by Kipnis, the second baseman, in short right field. At .202, Teixeira's average reached .200 for the first time since before play on May 20.
Brian McCann hit an RBI double in the third and, with runners at second and third, Tomlin intentionally walked Chase Headley. Two pitches late, Castro sent a cutter over the right-field scoreboard for his 12th homer this season and first career slam.
Local
Tomlin has allowed 26 homers, tied for the big league lead with Kansas City's Ian Kennedy and Chris Young, and Toronto's R.A. Dickey.
Chris Gimenez, a .198 hitter coming in, hit a three-run homer in the Cleveland fifth, his third home run this season.
Left-hander Shawn Morimando, recalled before the game, made his second big league appearance and gave up four runs while getting three outs as the Yankees stretched their lead to 11-4. He walked four in a two-run sixth inning, then gave up Aaron Hicks' leadoff homer and Brett Gardner's stand-up triple in the seventh.
Morimando allowed two runs over 3 2/3 innings at Toronto on July 2 in his big league debut and has an 11.57 ERA.
STILL SITTING
Even with the big lead, the Yankees didn't use Alex Rodriguez, who has one start and seven at-bats since July 22. He is stuck at 696 career home runs.
STREAKING
Francisco Mejia, a 20-year-old Indians catching prospect, doubled in the first inning for Class A Lynchburg, extending his hitting streak to 47 games. The first 22 games of the streak were for Class A Lake County.
UP NEXT
LHP CC Sabathia (6-8) starts for the Yankees against his first big league club after going 1-4 with a 6.85 in his last eight starts. RHP Corey Kluber (10-8), the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner, starts for the Indians.
