Greg Bird Hits Three Home Runs, Has 5 RBI's To Back Mashairo Tanaka's Start Against Philadelphia

First baseman Greg Bird continues to stay hot for the guys in the Bronx this spring and that continued Tuesday against Philadelphia.  

He hit two home runs and had five runs batted in Tuesday to back up, Masahiro Tanaka scoreless start against the Philadelphia Phillies as he kept them off the scoreboard for 5/2/3 innings. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/220379020/yanks-masahiro-tanaka-greg-bird-beat-phils/

In his longest outing, Tanaka allowed no runs on three hits while striking out three, walking one and hitting a batter. For the spring, he's struck out 22 and walked just three in 18 2/3 innings. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/220379020/yanks-masahiro-tanaka-greg-bird-beat-phils/

Opposing Tanaka, Phillies righty Vince Velasquez looked sharp early, facing the minimum through 3 1/3 innings before running into trouble. With one out in the fourth, he walked Gary Sanchez before Bird launched a two-run homer deep to right-center field. The hit snapped a 9 1/3-innings streak in which Velasquez allowed no hits, struck out 13 and walked seven. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/220379020/yanks-masahiro-tanaka-greg-bird-beat-phils/

Two innings later, the first three Yankees scored to extend the lead to 5-0. After Brett Gardner reached on an error and Sanchez laced a single off the right-field wall, Bird once again took Velasquez out of the park, this time to straightaway right. The homers were Bird's team-leading fifth and sixth this spring. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/220379020/yanks-masahiro-tanaka-greg-bird-beat-phils/