Ibanez stays on upswing for Yanks

Ibanez stays on upswing for Yanks

BRIAN BLANCO/EPA

Raul Ibanez (c.) celebrates his three-run home during the third inning against Tampa Bay.

ST. PETERSBURG Raul Ibanez had been emerging from a nearly spring-long slump toward the end of camp and that may have carried over into his big debut as a Yankee.

Ibanez, who was the designated hitter and batted seventh, blasted a three-run homer off James Shields in the third inning Friday, the big blow in a comeback from an early 4-0 deficit. Ibanezs drive, his first Opening Day home run, gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead, though they ultimately failed to hold it.

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Definitely, spring training is over now and everything that happened before today is really irrelevant, Ibanez said after the game. Still, his spring may have weighed on him in some way, because he also said, I was definitely looking forward to playing this game.

It certainly helps and Im looking forward to (Saturday) and the next day.

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Ibanez started the spring with only two hits in his first 39 at-bats (.105), but went 7-for-21 (.333) to finish camp, hitting all off his team-leading three home runs in that span. Overall, he hit .150 during the spring.

Ibanez has never had much success on Opening Day he is a lifetime .125 hitter (5-for-40). Hes been on an Opening Day roster 14 times and made 11 starts.

Friday, he finished with four RBI he knocked in the Yankees first run in the second inning with a grounder and was 1-for-5. In the fourth inning, he had a chance to help the Yankees tack on some runs, something they failed to do after taking the lead, but he grounded to short with the bases loaded, ending the frame.

We did have a couple opportunities and we werent able to get it done right then and there, Ibanez said.

But, Joe Gi rardi said, Friday was a positive for Ibanez, at least.

He really started to swing the bat in the last week and it carried over to today and thats a good sign, the manager said. Some guys are slow starters, and you hope that slow start is in spring training and not during the course of the season. His at-bats were really good today.

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