Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Yangervis Solarte went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored in his first MLB start, as the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros, 4-2, to avoid a three-game sweep.
Solarte batted ninth and played third base just one day after making his major league debut in the Yankees' 3-1 loss to the Astros on Wednesday, going 0- for-2.
Derek Jeter, Carlos Beltran and Brett Gardner each knocked in a run for the Yankees, who prevented their first 0-3 start since 2012. Ichiro Suzuki went 2- for-4 with two runs scored.
New York starter Ivan Nova (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits while walking five over 5 2/3 innings. In 2013, he went 9-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 23 games (20 starts).
Jose Altuve and Dexter Fowler had an RBI apiece for the Astros, who went 1- for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven. Fowler, who had two hits, joined Ken Caminiti as the only players in franchise history to begin their Astros careers with three consecutive multi-hit games.
Brett Oberholtzer (0-1) got the start for Houston and gave up three runs on five hits while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. He went 4-5 with a 2.76 ERA in 13 games (10 starts) last season, his first in the majors.
Houston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Fowler and Robbie Grossman singled before Jason Castro was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Altuve plated a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice. Chris Carter walked to load the bases again, but Marc Krauss grounded into a double play.
"We had our chances, especially early," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "We had baserunners everywhere. We were probably one big hit away from kind of getting some separation early in the game, but give the New York Yankees credit. They fought and found a way to get out of here with a win."
The Yankees scored a pair of runs in the third to take the lead for good. Suzuki, Solarte and Gardner hit three straight singles to plate a run. After Jeter walked to load the bases, Beltran hit a sacrifice fly.
New York tacked on another run in the fifth when Solarte crossed the plate on Jeter's two-out single to right. Solarte reached base on a double to center.
Houston got the run right back in the bottom half. Jonathan Villar led off with a double down the left-field line and scored on Fowler's single to right, making it 3-2.
The Astros gift-wrapped a run for the Yankees in the seventh. After Suzuki hit a two-out double, Solarte hit a high pop-up that fell between home plate and the pitcher's mound. Suzuki scored from second on the play to make it 4-2.
Adam Warren tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Shawn Kelley pitched a perfect eighth and David Robertson retired the side in order in the ninth to secure his first save of the season after taking over the closer role for the Yankees following the retirement of legendary closer Mariano Rivera.
"It felt like a normal big-league game," Robertson said of his first appearance in his new role. "I didn't have runners all over the place and didn't make it too dramatic."
Game Notes
Castro was also hit by a pitch in the third inning to become the first Astro since Brad Ausmus in 2007 to be hit twice in a game. He remained in the game before being replaced by Carlos Corporan in the sixth with a right foot contusion. X-rays were negative ... New York went 3-for-7 with RISP and stranded six ... Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to make his MLB debut against Dustin McGowan when the Yankees open a three-game series at Toronto on Friday.
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