CLEVELAND — The New York Yankees continued to pound Cleveland Indians pitchers Tuesday night, and the Indians lost not just a game but a pitcher — perhaps for quite a while.
New York erupted for five home runs and routed Cleveland 14-1 a day after demolishing the Indians 11-6.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, fresh off serving a five game suspension for intentionally hitting a hitter in 2011, was ejected from Tuesday’s game for, in the opinion of home plate umpire Jordan Baker, intentionally hitting another batter.
After giving up a two-run home run to Robinson Cano that extended the Yankees’ lead to 7-0 with two outs in the fourth inning, Carrasco hit the next batter, Kevin Youkilis, with his first pitch, and was immediately thrown out of the game.
Carrasco could be facing another suspension, which would complicate matters for Indians manager Terry Francona, who was forced to bring Brett Myers into the game in relief of Carrasco. Myers was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against the Yankees.
The pitching change didn’t halt the pummeling New York hitters put on Cleveland pitchers.
In addition to Cano, the Yankees also got home runs from Youkilis, Ichiro Suzuki, Brennan Boesch, and Lyle Overbay. The Yankees have hammered Cleveland pitchers for eight home runs in the first two games of the series.
Yankee starter Andy Pettitte was the beneficiary of Tuesday’s outburst. Pettitte pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits to pick up the win. He is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA.
Carrasco was charged with seven runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Yankees scored four runs in the second inning, which included a two-run single by Brett Gardner. Ichiro Suzuki’s solo homer in the third made it 5-0, and Cano’s two-run homer in the fourth set the stage for Carrasco’s ejection.
NOTES: Derek Jeter did some outside running for the first time at the Yankees’ spring training facility in Tampa on Tuesday as he continues his rehab from offseason ankle surgery. … Yankees outfielder Brennan Boesch has been taking ground balls at first base in pre-game drills the last few days. … Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson has been cleared to begin swinging a bat underwater as he continues his rehab from a broken right forearm. … Indians catcher Carlos Santana is expected to miss at least three games with a severe bruise on his left thumb. … Catchers Yan Gomes and Omir Santos were called up from Class AAA Columbus because the two catchers on Cleveland’s major league roster, Santana and Lou Marson, are both injured. Marson was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a cervical neck sprain.