The New York Yankees defeat the PIttsburgh Pirates 11-9

The New York Yankees defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates by the score of 11-9 on Sunday afternoon. The game took place at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida. Ivan Nova made the start and had his worst start of the spring although he was ok for five innings. Kevin Youkilis, Brennan Boesche and Eduardo Nunez each had a couple of hits. 
Nova pitched five innings giving up six hits and four runs with a walk and four strikeouts. Nova picked up the win, Dave Robertson pitched an inning giving up a walk and striking out one, Branden Pinder pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and Matt Tracy pitched an inning giving up five hits and four runs and a walk. Chase Whitley picked up the save pitching a perfect inning.

Nunez had two hits, Boesch had two hits and an RBI and Youkilis had two hits and three RBI. Gil Velazquez had a hit, Jayson Nix drew two walks and Chris Stewart had a hit and drew a walk. Addison Maruszak had a hit and an RBI, Thomas Neal drew a walk and Dan Johnson drew a walk. Melky Mesa had a hit and four RBI, Youkilis hit a double and a homerun and Mesa hit a homerun. The Yankees were 5-12 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Nunez had two stolen bases, Neal, Mesa and Boesch each had one. Stewart had a passed ball and Mesa had an outfield assist.

Phil Irwin took the loss pitching 2 1/3 innings giving up seven hits and six runs with two walks. Mike Zagurski pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up a hit and two runs with two walks and a strikeout, Jeff Locke pitched four innings giving up two unearned runs and a walk with two strikeouts and Jared Hughes pitched an inning giving up two hits and a run with two strikeouts.

Starling Marte had a hit, Felix Pie had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Russell Martin drew a walk. Lucas May had two hits and two RBI, Alex Presley had a hit and an RBI and Pedro Alvarez had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk. Jared Goedert had an RBI, Matt Curry drew a walk and Gaby Sanchez had a hit and an RBI. Travis Snider had a hit and an RBI, Ivan De Jesus had a hit and Clint Barmes had a hit and an RBI. Jordy Mercer had a hit, Alvarez hit two doubles, Sanchez and Presley each hit a double. Barmes hit a homerun and the Pirates were 5-10 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Pie had a stolen base, Martin and Alvarez each committed an error and May had a passed ball.

The Yankees scored three runs in the first inning. Nunez stole third and scored on a throwing error and then Youkilis hit a two run homerun. In the second Youkilis hit an RBI double to make it a 4-0 game. The Yankees scored four runs in the third and it was a 8-0 Yankees lead. Mesa hit a grand slam. The Pirates would get on the board in the fourth with three runs. Alvarez and Sanchez each hit an RBI double and Snider hit a sacrifice fly. The Yankees had an 8-3 lead and then the Pirates cut it in half in the fifth inning. The Yankees got that run back in the sixth inning. It was 9-5 in the seventh. The Yankees made it a 10-5 game in the eighth and 11-5 in the ninth and then the Pirates rallied four four runs in the ninth. Pie hit an RBI single, May hit an RBI single and Presley hit an RBI double. Goedert had an RBI groundout and that was the final run of the game making it a 11-9 game.

The Yankees record improved to 9-14 and the Pirates record fell to 9-13. The Yankees will have an off day on Monday and the Pirates will host the Boston Red Sox.