CLEVELAND — Who said they're not the Bronx Bombers anymore?
For a second straight day, the Yankees' lineup hardly missed its injured stars, getting a pair of homers from Robinson Cano and another from Travis Hafner in an 11-6 win that spoiled the Indians' home opener at Progressive Field.
It's a good thing the bats stayed alive, because Hiroki Kuroda was unable to follow CC Sabathia with a strong start.
After being given a 3-0 lead on Hafner's three-run shot in the first, Kuroda immediately gave it back by surrendering three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Reuters
CLEVE' A MARK: Travis Hafner celebrates with Robinson Cano after a mashing a three-run, first-inning homer for the Yankees in his Cleveland homecoming, an 11-6 victory over the Indians yesterday.
Making his first start since suffering a bruised right middle finger on a line drive Wednesday, Kuroda recovered to last 5 /3 innings and pick up his first win.
He had Hafner & Co. to thank. The designated hitter, shaking off an ugly spring training, returned to his former home and reached base four times, driving in four runs and scoring three more.
"With veteran guys, you don't make too much of spring training," Joe Girardi said. "You figure their track record is gonna take over."
The plan worked a year ago with Raul Ibanez and seems to be the case with Hafner.
"I was working on a bunch of things mechanically [during the spring] and basically scrapped everything and really tried to simplify my swing to the point where there's nothing going on," Hafner said. "I've had a lot of success with that. It feels really good and really simple. Hopefully, I found something really easy to maintain and be consistent with."
The new strategy paid dividends with a 410-foot blast off Ubaldo Jimenez. He gave the Yankees the lead again with an RBI single in the third inning. He then walked and scored in each of his next two plate appearances.
Including Cano's heroics, the lineup provided plenty of runs to work with, though the pitchers seemed intent on trying to give it back.
Kuroda walked four in the first four innings, and after Boone Logan got out of the sixth with a double play, the rest of the bullpen failed to impress.
Shawn Kelley was awful for a second straight appearance, this time giving up three runs in 11/3 innings on three extra-base hits and two wild pitches.
Joba Chamberlain didn't make things easier, walking two in the ninth before finally striking out Mark Reynolds to end the 3:50 affair.
But the pitching trouble was overshadowed by the fact the Yankees kept piling on runs.
After adding a run in the fourth, Cano homered to the opposite field to lead off the fifth for a 6-3 lead. Ichiro Suzuki singled in Hafner later in the inning.
The second baseman, mired in a 3-for-23 slump to start the season, launched another homer in the sixth to make it 8-3. Cano also doubled, giving him his first three extra-base hits of the season.
The Yankees tallied three insurance runs in the seventh — an inning that started with a Hafner walk.
"It's nice to contribute to a win," Hafner said. "I really wasn't brought in to hit in middle of the order. I was supposed to be down in the order, but this is a great opportunity for me."
dan.martin@nypost.com
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