Yankees 6, Braves 2
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter had a pair of big two-out singles and CC Sabathia finally got in step with the New York Yankees' stellar rotation this month, as the Yankees continued their domination of the NL East.
The Yankees won their 10th game in a row, all against NL East foes, beating the Atlanta Braves 6-2 Monday night at Yankee Stadium. It marked their longest winning streak since May 2005, and the first time in team history they had won 10 straight against teams with winning records, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Jeter's two-out, two-run single in the fifth gave the Yankees their first lead, 3-2, after they fell behind early 2-0.
Mark Teixeira homered in the sixth, Jeter tacked on a run with a RBI single in the seventh and Robinson Cano hit his 13th homer of the season in the eighth.
Sabathia (9-3) entered the night as the only starter in the Yankees' rotation not to post an ERA under 2.00 for June, but he at least hit the mark for Monday's game. He allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out 10 in his first complete game of the season.
He was helped by some nifty defense, with Jeter diving to make a stop on Michael Bourn's bid for a third hit in the seventh, and Cano making a nice short-hop play on Dan Uggla's grounder to end the eighth.
The Braves lost for the eighth time in nine games, and dropped their fourth straight game played against the Yankees, who swept them in Atlanta last week.
Mike Minor (3-5) allowed four runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings before the Yankees tagged the bullpen for a pair of late runs.
After getting held hitless in the first four innings, the Yankees scored three in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Russell Martin hit a ground-rule double to score Alex Rodriguez, who led the inning off with a single. A few batters later, with the bases loaded and two outs, Jeter grounded a single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch to drive in two runs and give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
Bourn had a hand in the Braves' first two runs, starting off the game with a triple to left-center field, before scoring on a grounder by Martin Prado to make it 1-0.
He gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Jason Heyward, who led the inning off with the first of Atlanta's three singles in the frame.
Minor, who had an 9.95 ERA in May, was coming off a strong start against the Yankees in his last appearance last Tuesday. He limited them to one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision then.
NOTES: Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher (bone bruise, left leg), who injured himself in Saturday's game, was out of the lineup for the second straight day Monday. Swisher took some batting practice and said through a spokesman "it was improved, but I'm not quite there yet." Girardi said Swisher wasn't available Monday except possibly in an emergency, but expected him back within the next couple of days. ... Outfielder Brett Gardner (strained right elbow) said before Monday's game he thought he could return around the All-Star break in the middle of next month. ... The Braves had no updates on right-hander Brandon Beachy, who was put on the disabled list with right elbow soreness Sunday. Beachy underwent an MRI on Monday, but the Braves were awaiting the results Monday night, the team said.
