Yankees hit five homers in rout of Indians

CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Terry Francona and his pitcher, Carlos Carrasco, both say Carrasco slipped.

The Yankees aren't so sure, but it didn't prevent New York from rolling to another lopsided victory over the Indians Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

The Yankees belted five home runs both before and after Carrasco was ejected from the game, a 14-1 New York victory. The Yankees have won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 25-7.

Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki, Lyle Overbay, Brennan Boesch and Kevin Youkilis all slugged home runs and Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings to get the win, improving his record to 2-0. Cano had four hits and five RBIs and Brett Gardner also had four of the Yankees' 18 hits.

Carrasco took the loss, and considerable heat for a controversial pitch he threw in the fourth inning, after Cano clubbed a two-run home run that extended the New York lead to 7-0. The next batter was Youkilis, and Carrasco hit him with his first pitch.

Carrasco was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Jordan Baker.

"It didn't look good situationally, and I understand the umpire's viewpoint," said Francona. "But Carlos slipped. It didn't look good on the other side, and I understand that. But the first thing Carlos told me when I got to the mound was that he slipped."

Francona said the proof that Carrasco slipped lies in his radar gun readings. Carrasco was throwing 94-95 mph, but the pitch that hit Youkilis was clocked at 90 mph.

"He had electric stuff right out of the gate," said Francona of Carrasco, whose fastball was clocked at between 94 and 95 mph. "But the pitch that hit (Youkilis) was only 90."

Said Youkilis: "It doesn't look good in a lot of ways after a home run is given up and a ball is thrown at your head."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he didn't know what to make of Carrasco's actions.

"No one ever knows if a guy truly does it on purpose," Girardi said. "He just came back from a five-game suspension. If it was on purpose, it's probably not a very good idea. If it wasn't, it looks like it was. Either way it doesn't look good."

Carrasco was making his first start of 2013, and his first major league start since Aug. 3, 2011. He was suspended in his second-to-last start of 2011 for intentionally hitting a batter, but since he missed all of 2012 while recovering from elbow surgery he was unable to serve the five-game suspension until the start of the 2013 season.

Following the events of the fourth inning Tuesday night, Carrasco could be facing another suspension.

"I didn't want to hit anybody," said Carrasco. "I feel really bad. I apologized to Tito. I waited a year and a half, so I don't want to be suspended again."

Carrasco's ejection could complicate matters for Francona, who was forced to bring Brett Myers into the game in relief of Carrasco. Myers was scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Francona said the Indians' starting pitcher for Wednesday won't be announced until Wednesday, after he meets with general manager Chris Antonetti. The pitching change didn't halt the pummeling New York hitters put on Cleveland pitchers. The Yankees have hammered Cleveland pitchers for eight home runs in the first two games of the series.

Carrasco was charged with seven runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The Yankees scored four runs in the second inning, which included a two-run single by Gardner and a two-run double by Cano. Suzuki's solo homer in the third made it 5-0, and Cano's two-run homer in the fourth set the stage for Carrasco's ejection.

NOTES: Derek Jeter did some outside running for the first time at the Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa on Tuesday as he continues his rehab from offseason ankle surgery. ... Yankees outfielder Brennan Boesch has been taking ground balls at first base in pre-game drills the last few days. ... Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson has been cleared to begin swinging a bat underwater as he continues his rehab from a broken right forearm. ... Indians catcher Carlos Santana is expected to miss at least three games with a severe bruise on his left thumb. ... Catchers Yan Gomes and Omir Santos were called up from Class AAA Columbus because the two catchers on Cleveland's major league roster, Santana and Lou Marson, are both injured. Marson was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a cervical neck sprain.