CLEVELAND (AP) _ Shane Greene allowed two runs in six innings for his first major league win, All-Star Dellin Betances earned his first career save and the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 5-3 on Monday night.
Greene (1-0) didn’t allow a hit until Nick Swisher’s two-out homer in the fifth. The 25-year-old right-hander, called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, was pressed into service after scheduled starter Vidal Nuno was traded to Arizona for right-hander Brandon McCarthy on Sunday.
Brett Gardner, Brian McCann and Ichiro Suzuki had three hits apiece for New York.
Betances pitched the final two innings, giving closer David Robertson a rest day.
Justin Masterson (4-6) continued to pitch poorly and was pulled without retiring a batter in the third. Cleveland’s opening-day starter allowed five runs and six hits in two-plus innings. He walked three, hit a batter and rarely topped 90 mph in his 54 pitches, throwing only 24 strikes.
Greene’s only big league appearance came in relief against Boston on April 24 when he pitched one-third of an inning and allowed three unearned runs. He walked three of four hitters, all of whom scored, and threw eight of 23 pitches for strikes.
A 15th-round selection by New York in 2009, Greene allowed hits. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. Greene was 5-2 with a 4.61 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Greene’s last start was against Buffalo on July 2 when he pitched six scoreless innings.
Derek Jeter, playing in his final regular-season series in Cleveland, was 1 for 4 and drew a bases-loaded walk in the second.
Yan Gomes hit a leadoff homer in the eighth.
New York scored three times in the second when Masterson allowed four hits, walked two and hit a batter. Brian Roberts had an RBI double, Brett Gardner drove in a run with a single and Jeter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Ichiro Suzuki’s infield hit and Francisco Cervelli’s fielder’s choice added two runs in the third.
Masterson’s struggles have become a growing concern for the Indians. Over his last five starts, the right-hander has allowed 19 runs, 27 hits and 17 walks in 18 innings. Masterson has pitched more than four innings once in that stretch.
Masterson was given extra time off because of a sore knee after lasting four innings against Arizona on June 24, but that didn’t help. He didn’t retire a batter in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona said after that outing Masterson’s ineffectivness was related more to a lack of command than an injury.
Masterson is a free agent after the season. The two sides talked about a contract extension in spring training, but didn’t reach an agreement.
NOTES: Yankees OF Carlos Beltran didn’t play because of swelling behind his right knee. … Indians OF Michael Bourn will miss three to four weeks with a strained left hamstring. …. McCarthy will make his first start for the Yankees on Wednesday. … Cleveland acquired OF Chris Dickesron from Pittsburgh for cash or a player to be named. He started in left field and had a sixth-inning single. … The Indians honored their former television/radio announcer Mike Hegan, who died in December, in a pregame ceremony. Hegan, a native of Cleveland, began his major league career with the Yankees in 1964. … All-Star RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-3) faces Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (2-4) on Tuesday.
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