Castro, Beltran help Yankees beat A's for 4th straight win
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starlin Castro broke out of a slump with three hits, Carlos Beltran singled twice to keep up his recent tear and the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1 on Saturday to win their season-high fourth straight game.
Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings to win Joe Girardi's 1,500th game as a manager. Tanaka (2-0) allowed one run on five hits and had four strikeouts for his first victory since April 12.
Castro was in a 3-for-22 funk before he reached on an infield single as part of New York's four-run fourth. The veteran second baseman also singled in the fifth, and then doubled in Ronald Torreyes for an insurance run in the seventh.
Beltran had an RBI single in the fourth to stay hot. He is batting .391 (9 for 23) with eight RBIs over the past six games.
All the runs came off rookie starter Sean Manaea (1-2).
Tanaka and reliever Nick Goody made it hold to help the Yankees move out of last place in the AL East for the first time since April 18.
Working on five days of rest, Tanaka retired seven of the first eight and pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth by getting Danny Valencia to strike out swinging before Khris Davis grounded out.
Goody retired six batters to complete the six-hitter.
The A's scored their only run off Tanaka in the fifth when Matt McBride walked and scored on Valencia's sacrifice fly.
Manaea gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: 3B Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday when New York begins a three-game homestand against Toronto. "It makes sense probably to give him a couple extra days," Girardi said. ... SS Didi Gregorius was given the day off to rest his sore right foot. Gregorius has fouled a ball off his foot twice within the last week and was also hit there by a line drive.
Athletics: Davis left the game in the seventh with tightness in his right forearm. ... X-rays taken on Stephen Vogt's left wrist were negative, but he did not play. Vogt was hit by a pitch from New York's CC Sabathia in the second inning Friday. ... Oakland plans to activate 2B Jed Lowrie from the DL on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Michael Pineda (1-5) goes for New York on Sunday. The right-hander has lost a career-high five straight decisions.
Athletics: RHP Jesse Hahn (1-1) pitches the series finale in his second start since being called up from the minors for the second time this season.