Resiliency was the name of the game for the New York Yankees, who rode Chris Carter’s late three-run jack to victory.

  • New York Yankees: 11 (11-6)
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: 5 (7-10)
  • Interleague, FINAL, Box Score
  • PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
In the middle game at PNC Park, there were ups, downs and tons of uncertainty for the New York Yankees. Chris Carter provided the closure and spark they so desperately desired.

In a 5-5 game with two outs and two men on in the eighth, the 30-year-old slugger came off the bench and blasted his first home run as a Yankee, a towering shot to left-center off reliever Felipe Rivero which propelled the team to victory.

 RELATED: Carter Launches Timely Home Run (Video) 

The home run bailed out a Yankee bullpen which squandered a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning, made sure the departure of Dellin Betances — in favor of Carter’s bat — would not be felt and helped New York in its quest to resurrect some early season road woes.

In a game the Yanks trailed 3-0, they battled back behind Starlin Castro‘s three run, game-tying homer and Ronald Torreyes‘ timely two-run double. In a game that witnessed a much more pedestrian Michael Pineda (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 HR), Joe Girardi received just enough from his right-hander before pulling the necessary strings.

If there is one reason to be optimistic about the early success of these 2017 Yankees, it’s the lone fact that they are receiving contributions from different individuals each night. In other words, they are unpredictable — bringing massive potential to the table in each facet of the game.

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When a big piece is slumping, a different, more unexpected, piece steps up. The cohesiveness of the overall unit has been encouraging, and that same cohesiveness avoided what would have been a disappointing series loss to begin a six-game road trip.

Notable performances included four hits from Torreyes and a 2-5 evening out of Aaron Judge, who provided an exclamation point with a massive, 457-foot solo shot to left-center field in the top of the ninth.

Highlights

Court Is In Session

Fans are continuing to drool at the idea of watching Aaron Judge rake on a nightly basis. Another tape measure shot today (457 feet) left the bat at 116 mph and put the fans at PNC Park in awe.

Yes, it’s a broken record that this guy has inhumane power, but that raw talent has now translated into results at the big league level. Through 16 games this season, the 6-foot-7, 282-pound monster is hitting .281 with six long balls and 13 runs batted in.

The sky — as showcased by his home runs — isn’t even the limit for the 24-year-old rookie.

What’s Next?

The Yankees and Pirates will play the rubber game of this three-game set tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. EST.

Rookie Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 4.22 ERA) will take the ball for New York, looking to make it three consecutive promising starts to begin his big league career. He will be opposed by former Yankee Ivan Nova (1-2, 2.25 ERA), who has given the Pirates at least six innings and not allowed more than three earned runs in each of his three starts this season.

The game can be seen on YES and MLB Network (out-of-market only) and listened to on WFAN 660/101.9 FM.

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