PITTSBURGH — Chris Carter looked like $3.5 million poorly spent through the first few weeks of the season, as the slugger had nine strikeouts and no home runs before Saturday’s game against the Pirates.
But with one swing of the bat on Saturday, Carter seemed like a wise investment, as his pinch-hit three-run homer gave the Yankees the lead for good in an 11-5 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.
It made a winner out of Dellin Betances, who escaped an inherited jam with the score tied at 5-5 in the seventh.
Entering the game with Andrew McCutchen on third and one out, Betances got David Freese to pop out to shallow right and John Jaso to ground out to second to keep the game knotted.