Granderson helps Yankees beat Indians 4-2
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Curtis Granderson hit his 200th career homer as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 4-2 Sunday.
The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the second inning off Ubaldo Jimenez (9-13). Granderson's 33rd homer in the sixth made it 4-2 and gave New York a record eight current players with 200 or more career homers.
The Yankees took two of three in the series following a three-game losing streak, opening a four-game lead in the AL East over idle Tampa Bay.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jason Kipnis had three hits and three stolen bases for Cleveland, which has lost nine of 10 and is 5-23 since July 26.
Boone Logan (5-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings of relief for the win. Rafael Soriano got four outs for his 33rd save in 35 chances.
Soriano was hit in the right arm by a line drive off Kipnis' bat in the ninth and recovered to get the out. After being checked by manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue, the right-hander retired Asdrubal Cabrera on a soft liner to end it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nick Swisher had three hits as New York improved to 26-15 in series finales, including 10-5 in the deciding game of three-game sets.
Swisher and Ichiro Suzuki had RBI singles in the Yankees' second and Derek Jeter also drove in a run with a groundout.
Jeter went 0 for 5, but still leads the majors with 173 hits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A large group of Yankees fans chanted "Der-ek Je-ter" each time New York's captain came to the plate. Indians fans responded with a resounding boo — and each side turned up the volume throughout every at-bat.
Cleveland's fans cheered the loudest when Jeter bounced into double play to end the ninth against Esmil Rogers.
Yankees starter Freddy Garcia worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third, getting Carlos Santana to pop a 3-2 pitch to right. Garcia thought he had Santana struck out on the previous pitch, a cut fastball on the corner that plate umpire Gary Cederstrom called ball three. Garcia stomped around the mound a bit before taking a breath. He made no eye contact with Cederstrom as he went to the dugout following the third out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The right-hander wasn't as fortunate in the fifth after getting two quick outs. Kipnis singled, Garcia hit Asdrubal Cabrera with a pitch and then walked Shin-Soo Choo. This time, Santana grounded the first pitch up the middle for a two-run single to make it 3-2.
That finished Garcia in favor of Logan, who retired Michael Brantley on a groundout with runners on first and third.
Granderson homered off reliever Tony Sipp. It was the 195th homer this year by the Yankees, who have gone deep in 40 of their last 45 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Garcia struck out six over 4 2-3 innings. He failed to go the necessary five innings for a starter to get the win and remained 5-1 in daytime starts this year.
Jimenez fanned four over five innings, yielding eight hits and three runs. The right-hander dropped to 1-6 with a 7.96 in nine starts since July 14.
NOTES: Ohio native John Glenn, the former U.S. senator and astronaut celebrating 50 years since his historic space flight, tossed out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Girardi expects updates on 3B Alex Rodriguez, out since July 25 with a broken left hand, and LHP Andy Pettitte, sidelined since June 28 by a broken left ankle when the team returns home. Rodriguez could take regular batting practice before the Yankees play Toronto in New York on Monday. ... Granderson joined Rodriguez, Jeter, Swisher, Mark Teixeira, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones in the 200-homer club. ... Cleveland went 1-5 against the Yankees this season.