NEW YORK — Greg Bird emphatically ended an 0-for-20 skid with a long home run off Adam Wainwright and the New York Yankees ran their winning streak to seven games with a 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night.
Bird began Sunday hitting .038, but when New York’s latest win concluded, the first baseman held a .138 average. Besides hitting a 429-foot home run Bird also doubled off Wainwright and hooked a breaking ball foul over the right-field wall in the sixth before drawing a walk against Matt Bowman.
Bird recorded three hits for the first time in his career when he singled with nobody out in the eighth off Miguel Socolovich.
Aaron Judge added an RBI triple and Aaron Hicks contributed a solo home run and a sacrifice fly as the Yankees improved to 6-0 at home for the first time since winning their first seven home games of the 114-win 1998 season. Austin Romine and Ronald Torreyes contributed two-run doubles after Bird’s third hit
Michael Pineda (2-1) continued New York’s run of effective starting pitching. Five days after retiring the first 20 hitters and striking out 11 Tampa Bay Rays, Pineda allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings.
Wainwright was rocked for four runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Greg Garcia had an RBI single and Yadier Molina homered for the Cardinals, whose 3-9 start is their worst 12-game start since the 1988 season. Randal Grichuk added an RBI on a throwing error by Torreyes on a force play in the ninth.
The Cardinals held a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Garcia. They had first and third when Dexter Fowler singled on the next pitch, but Pineda retired Aledmys Diaz to end the threat.
The Yankees took a 3-1 lead on consecutive pitches in the second.
After Chase Headley opened the inning with a base hit, Judge appeared to hit a home run into the first row of the right-center seats off Wainwright’s curveball. Instead, a fan stuck his glove out and touched it, and following a nearly three-minute review, Judge was awarded a triple as he hustled to third after getting the hit.
On the next pitch, Judge trotted home as Bird belted a first-pitch sinker about halfway up in the bleachers in right-center field.
Hicks made it 4-1 with one out in the fifth when he homered just inside the right-field foul pole.
NOTES: A day later, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny was still amazed at RHP Carlos Martinez issuing eight walks, striking out 11 and only allowing three runs Saturday. “That was bizarre but it’s amazing for him to be that off and for him to be that good,” Matheny said. … New York DH Matt Holliday (lower back tightness) missed his second straight game. Manager Joe Girardi said he expects Holliday to return Monday against the Chicago White Sox. … Cardinals LHP Tyler Lyons (right knee) will make a third rehab start Monday for Triple-A Memphis. … New York pitchers participated in batting practice in preparation for next week’s visit to Pittsburgh.