Home Run Derby

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Home runs continue as Yankees come home and beat Indians

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 26- Already with a Major League leading 112 home runs, the New York Yankees returned to the Bronx Monday night where they will play 13 of their next 20 games at Yankee Stadium. That’s good news for New York because a majority of those home runs have been hit in the Bronx.

That is not to say that the Yankees don’t hit the long ball on the road. That was seen over the past three days when they hit five at Citi Field against the cross town Mets as they took two of three.

With Hiroki Kuroda on the mound, and in command, the Yankees home run ball continued Monday night. Robinson Cano hit his 17^th, Nick Swisher got his 12^th, and Dewayne Wise hit his first, getting the start in center, as New York won the  opening of a three-game series over the Cleveland Indians 7-1.

“You can hold him down for a while, but he’s going to get hot,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi about Cano who has hit six of the 17 home runs in the last eight games.

Cano drove in three runs. Kuroda (7-7) took a shutout into the eighth inning and won for the fourth time in his last six starts.

The continued home run domination of the Yankees has the opposition looking. During the series with the Mets, manager Terry Collins said they hit home runs everywhere.

With three more home runs Monday night, the Yankees have now hit 14 home runs combined over their last five games. They have hit two home runs in five straight games for the first time since August 21-26 of last season.

“It feels good, everything is connecting,” commented Cano who has increased his batting average to .302 after a slow start. Earlier in the day, Cano also took the lead in voting to start at second base for the American League in the all-star game that will take place in Kansas City July 10^th.

The win was the first of seven games on this home stand that will see the Yankees host the top two teams in the American League Central. The White Sox come to the Bronx, a four game series that begins Thursday evening.

Wise got the start and Curtis Granderson was inserted as the designated hitter. Alex Rodriguez was given a night off.

Phil Hughes (7-6) gets the start for New York as the series continues Tuesday night in the Bronx.