Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson each homered and Mark Teixeira added a three-run double for the Yankees in an 11-7 victory over the Indians that turned a bit contentious in the second inning.
Teixeira got involved in a shouting match with Indians starter Fausto Carmona after he was hit by a pitch in the second, leading to both teams leaving their benches to join the scuffle. While there was no serious threat of an ensuing brawl, the Yankees beat up the Indians on the scoreboard.
Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada each had three hits and an RBI to help the Yankees put their three-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox behind them.
Ivan Nova (5-4) lasted seven innings and gave up two runs on four hits and three walks to earn the win.
Carmona (3-8) was roughed up for six runs on eight hits and three walks in just four frames en route to dropping his fifth straight start.
Carlos Santana hit a solo homer and drove in two for Cleveland, which was coming off an unsuccessful 1-6 homestand.
Carmona walked the bases loaded in the first inning, and all three runners scored. Cano knocked in Derek Jeter with a single, Teixeira scored on Nick Swisher's sacrifice fly and Posada brought in Rodriguez with a base hit.
"Obviously walking to bases loaded in the first inning did him in," stated Indians manager Manny Acta, who also said he had never seen Carmona that wild.
Granderson belted one high into the second deck down the right-field line in the second, and Carmona, clearly frustrated, sent his next pitch between Teixeira's numbers on the back of his jersey, causing an uneventful clearing of the benches.
"If you want to send a message, if you're upset the way you're pitching and upset you gave up a home run, just throw the ball below the waist. I've been hit plenty of times in my career, but any time it's a purpose pitch up near my head, near my neck, I don't like that," Teixeira explained.
New York continued its onslaught the next inning, as Brett Gardner doubled off the wall in right-center to plate Cano. In the fourth, Rodriguez powered one into the bleachers in left-center for a 6-0 cushion.
Cleveland had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth and managed only one run on Michael Brantley's fielder's choice grounder to first.
Santana homered in the sixth, then gave the run back in the bottom half when he tried to nab Granderson trying to steal third and threw the ball away, allowing Granderson to score easily.
The Yankees pushed across four against Chad Durbin in the seventh, as Teixeira knocked in three on a bases-loaded double to the right-field gap before scoring on Rodriguez's two-bagger to center.
Kevin Whelan, called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game, walked four Indians in the eighth to force in a run, and Cleveland put together a late rally in the ninth.
Santana hit an RBI single and Shin-Soo Choo worked a walk off Lance Pendleton to bring in a run and force Mariano Rivera out of the bullpen in a non-save situation.
LaPorta greeted the closer with a two-run single, but Rivera retired the next two hitters to get the four-game series started on a winning note for the hosts.
Jeter doubled in the seventh to pull within nine hits shy of 3,000 for his career...Rodriguez's homer was his 12th of the season and 625th for his career...Before the game, the Yankees learned reliever Joba Chamberlain will need to undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his season and likely part of next year's as well...The Yankees optioned outfielder Chris Dickerson to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Whelan.