Domonic Brown’s three-run homer carries Phillies over Yankees

Tampa, FL, United States (4E Sports) – Domonic Brown hit a three-run shot in the fourth inning to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-0 blanking of the New York Yankees in Saturday’s spring training showdown at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda (1-2) was cruising in the first three innings before he walked Chase Utley to start the fourth frame.

Utley then moved to third when Ryan Howard reached on an error by second baseman Gil Velazquez.

Brown then drilled his fourth home run of the spring deep into the right-field stands to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.

Kuroda then retired Laynce Nix on a grounder but Jermaine Mitchell followed with a triple and scored on a single by Yuniesky Betancourt to make it 4-0.

Kuroda then held the Phillies scoreless in his last two frames on the mound before giving the ball to Mariano Rivera in the seventh.

Rivera and David Aardsma pitched two scoreless frames but the Phillies scored three in the ninth against Shawn Kelley.

Betancourt doubled off Kelley before Steven Lerud belted a homer to right field to make it 6-0. Pete Orr capped the scoring with an RBI triple that scored Freddy Galvis.

Philadelphia starter Raul Valdes (1-0) allowed three hits in three scoreless innings, including an opposite field double by Derek Jeter, who started at shortstop on consecutive days for the first time this spring.

Also starting at right field for the Yankees was Brennan Boesch, whom they acquired after he was released by the Detroit Tigers.

The 27-year-old Boesch gives the Yankees another outfield option while Curtis Granderson recovers from a fractured right forearm.

In three seasons with the Tigers, Boesch hit .269 in 196 games at Comerica Park. Boesch’s average in eight games at Yankee Stadium is .367.

“You never forget your games in New York,” he said. “Just as a kid, playing against the Yankees, playing for the Yankees — those are both dreams. But definitely, playing for them tops it off. What a quality organization to join after Detroit.”

To clear space for Boesch on the 40-man roster, the Yankees placed right-hander Michael Pineda on the 60-day disabled list.

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