A-Rod, Beltran lead Yankees to 14-3 blowout against Tigers

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez added to his momentous weekend with a homer and five RBIs, Carlos Beltran went deep from both sides of the plate and the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 14-3 Saturday night.

Light-hitting Didi Gregorius homered for the second consecutive night and New York banged out a season-best 18 hits on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. With former greats from Whitey Ford to Rickey Henderson on hand, the team presented Willie Randolph with a Monument Park plaque and surprised Mel Stottlemyre with one of his own.

Brett Gardner tripled, doubled and singled his first three times up against Alfredo Simon (7-4), sparking the Yankees to a laugher from his leadoff spot. Chris Young homered off backup infielder Josh Wilson in the eighth and finished with three hits.

One night after he homered for his 3,000th hit and drank a champagne toast with teammates, Rodriguez was at it again. He drove in a run with a sharp grounder in the first, hit a sacrifice fly in the second and launched a three-run homer off reliever Ian Krol in the third to make it 8-0.

Beltran drove in three runs and homered from both sides for the 12th time in his career. New York matched season highs for runs and homers (five) in winning for the 11th time in 12 home games - the club's best such streak since 2010.

The Yankees won their fourth in a row and 12th in 17 overall. They handed Detroit its fourth straight defeat.

All the offense made things easy on Nathan Eovaldi (6-2), who rebounded from a miserable outing in Miami. Pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career after throwing only 36 pitches Tuesday against the Marlins, the right-hander took a two-hit shutout into the seventh.

Bryan Mitchell worked three innings for his first major league save.

In his previous start, Eovaldi got only two outs and was rocked for eight runs and nine hits in a 12-2 loss.

Gardner had three chances to hit a homer for the cycle, but was retired each time - including on a fly to center by Wilson in the eighth.

Wilson gave up one run and two hits in one inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: Looking to rest a few veteran stars, manager Brad Ausmus pulled Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes in the fifth with Detroit trailing 10-0. It was the 12th anniversary of Cabrera's major league debut with the Marlins.

Yankees: RHP Ivan Nova (Tommy John surgery) is probably ready to rejoin the rotation after making his third minor league rehab start Friday, manager Joe Girardi said. Nova threw 84 pitches for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing five earned runs and seven hits over five innings in a loss at Lehigh Valley. Girardi said he wasn't sure yet when Nova will slot in, and it's possible the team will go to a six-man rotation. ... Rookie OF Mason Williams went for an MRI after jamming his right shoulder trying to get back into first base on a pickoff play Friday night.

SPECIAL GUEST

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo was at the game, a sign he is negotiating to sign with MLS's NYC team that is co-owned by the Yankees.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (5-7) starts Sunday as Detroit tries to avert a three-game sweep.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (4-2) has a 1.31 ERA in his last five starts. He went seven innings and yielded nine hits in a 2-1 loss at Miami on Monday. Tanaka has tossed at least seven innings without a walk in three straight outings, and is one of four major league pitchers since 1914 to win 17 or more of his first 26 career games.

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