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Leake, Piscotty help Cardinals beat Yankees 9-1

Sports

April 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mike Leake went four shutout innings, Stephen Piscotty homered twice and the St. Louis Cardinals beat a New York Yankees’ split squad 9-1 on Thursday. Leake gave up two hits and struck out five. He got inning-ending double plays from Alex Rodriguez and Chase Headley.

Leake, signed to an $80 million, five-year free-agent contract in December, has 24 strikeouts and two walks in 20 innings overall. He threw 33 of 39 pitches for strikes. Piscotty hit a second-inning solo shot, and added his second homer this spring one pitch after Brandon Moss had a solo drive during the fourth off Michael Pineda.

Jeremy Hazelbaker added a three-run homer in the fifth. Tommy Pham had a two-run shot in the seventh. Pineda gave up six runs and seven hits over five innings. He had given up just one run in nine earlier spring training innings.