Hicks' go-ahead homer guides Yankees past Mets
Hicks' go-ahead homer guides Yankees past Mets
NEW YORK -- Three fastballs were in similar locations for the New York Yankees.
Those pitches turned into key homers for the Yankees, especially one by Aaron Hicks.
The center fielder led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a go-ahead homer, lifting the Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Three nights after joking about coaxing a two-run homer off Boston's Addison Reed just fair and just over the right field wall, Hicks left little doubt when he connected on a 1-1, 94 mph fastball from Hansel Robles (7-4).
"It feels good," Hicks said knowing he hit a homer right off the bat. "You don't have to run as fast."
The ball traveled 400 feet into the right-center-field seats, giving the switch-hitting outfielder a career-high 12 homers. It was his second career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later.
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"It's consistent playing time," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of the improvement by Hicks, who batted .217 in 327 at-bats during 123 games last season. "I think he understands his swing better and made some adjustments during the winter."
Before Hicks' homer, Aaron Judge hit a game-tying homer in the sixth off Rafael Montero. Judge's 36th homer and first at Yankee Stadium in two weeks came on a 1-0 fastball and soared 391 feet into the right field seats.
Judge's homer also occurred on a night when he struck out for the 31st straight game. He fanned in his first and final at-bats.
"It's driving it the other way, which tells you that mechanically, he's more sound," Girardi said.
Three batters after Hicks homered, Gary Sanchez drove a 1-2 fastball from Erik Goeddel 401 feet into the right-center-field seats. It was Sanchez's 20th homer, matching his total from last year's two-month binge.
"I noticed it," Hicks said of the homers occurring on the same pitch. "Those two guys hit it farther than I did."
Judge and Sanchez both reached 40 career homers, marking the second time two Yankees reached that mark in the same game. The other instance was Kevin Maas and Roberto Kelly on Sept. 13, 1991, at Fenway Park.
The homers helped the Yankees rebound from a pair of losses to the Red Sox. New York is 4 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the American League East.
Three Yankees relievers combined on 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Luis Cessa exited with an upper back injury. Cessa, who will get an MRI, allowed two runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings while filling in for Masahiro Tanaka (right shoulder inflammation).
Cessa exited after appearing to injure himself during Juan Lagares' at-bat. He stayed in the game after being visited by Girardi and assistant trainer Tim Lentych, but he left the game following Lagares' single.
David Robertson (6-2) struck out Yoenis Cespedes to end the eighth. Dellin Betances fanned rookie Amed Rosario with a runner on in the ninth to secure his seventh save.
The Mets were unable to add on after Curtis Granderson and Cespedes homered in a span of four pitches in the third inning.
"You know they're dangerous in this park," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You're not satisfied two runs is going to hold up in Yankee Stadium. We just couldn't add on."
Montero gave up a sacrifice fly to Sanchez with the bases loaded in the fourth but escaped further trouble. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, and the game remained tied until Robles allowed Hicks' homer.
"The ball came out over the plate," Collins said of the homers in the eighth.
NOTES: Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (right knee inflammation) threw a bullpen session and said he felt fine. Sabathia will throw another bullpen session within the next two days, and if it goes well, he could be activated from the disabled list shortly thereafter. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) would throw off a mound for the first time Tuesday and RHP Jeurys Familia (surgery to remove a blood clot) would make a rehab appearance with the team's rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate Tuesday. ... Baseball writer Claire Smith, the winner of the Hall of Fame's Spink Award, was honored before the game and also threw out the ceremonial first pitch.