Cano, Ibanez Lead Yankees Past Astros
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Lyles insists he ready for the season.
Robinson Cano and Raul Ibanez each hit two-run homers off Lyles and the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros 11-9 Saturday in a game shortened to eight innings by rain.
"Nothing went as planned," said Lyles, who gave up 11 hits. "I didn't throw the ball over the plate and when I did, they hit it really hard."
Lyles is still in the running for one of two openings in the Astros' rotation. He is 0-3 with an 8.41 ERA in five starts in Florida.
"Physically I'm ready to go," said Lyles, who started 15 games as a 20-year-old rookie last season. "Just because I had a bad outing today doesn't mean I'm not ready to start the season. I'm not going to let this one outing get me down or anything; I'll be ready in five days."
Lyles, Kyle Weiland, Lucas Harrell and Henry Sosa are competing for two spots, according to manager Brad Mills, although Sosa has yet to start a game and Harrell has started only one.
Weiland, acquired from Boston in a December trade, has "shown a little bit more than we had hoped," said Mills, who has been reluctant to name him as a starter.
After giving up 34 hits in 20 1-3 innings, Lyles said he can't fault the Astros if the decisions go against him.
"If they feel like other guys have pitched better in spring training — which they might have — there's no excuse for how I've pitched," he said. "I should have pitched better if that's the case."
Rookie Dante Bichette Jr. homered on his first two pitches of the spring for the Yankees, and Jose Gil added a home run in the eighth inning of a game.
Justin Ruggiano, Carlos Lee, Brian Bogusevic and Chris Johnson hit home runs for the Astros in their final spring home game in Florida.
Adam Warren, a candidate for a spot in the Yankees' bullpen, gave up six runs in 5 2-3 innings in his second spring start.
NOTES: The Yankees will open New Marlins Ballpark in Miami with games against the Marlins on Sunday and Monday. ... The Astros will play the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland on Sunday, then fly to Texas for three more exhibition games. ... The opening-day status of Houston shortstop Jed Lowrie is in question because of a sprained right thumb. ... Ibanez's four RBIs brought his spring total to 14, matching Cano.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
