Jagielo, Bichette have a blast for Tampa

The Tampa Yankees are working this season to hit "smarter and not harder." In Saturday's doubleheader at Brevard, Eric Jagielo and Dante Bichette Jr. showed they can have it both ways.

Both Yankees prospects homered in both games as Class A Advanced Tampa dropped the opener, 7-4, then came back to beat the Manatees in the nightcap, 6-2.

"It's not a bad day, especially when the forecast was hit-or-miss," said Jagielo, New York's fifth-ranked prospect. "So glad we were able to get two games in. I just tried to stay focused at the plate and to find a pitch I could do something with and just stay within myself."

The Yankees were trailing, 4-1, in the seventh inning of the first game when Bichette hit his second homer of the season and first since April 16. Brevard County answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, but Jagielo connected for another solo shot in the ninth.

The road trip roommates switched positions in the second game, with Bichette moving from designated hitter to third base. He led off the fourth with a blast that trimmed the Manatees' lead to 2-1.

"He's been swinging the bat well, I'm happy to have him protecting me," Jagielo said of Tampa's cleanup hitter. "They have to pitch to me because if they don't, he will make them pay. I might get some more pitches in the strike zone rather than pitching around me. I try to get on base and boost his RBI totals."

The Yankees tied it on an RBI single by Reymond Nunez, then took the lead in the seventh and final inning.

"Jake Cave just hit a double to score the go-ahead run, so the pressure was off me a little, but I still wanted to keep the momentum going," said Jagielo, the 26th overall pick in last year's Draft. "[Reliever Tanner Poppe] threw a slider and I was able to get it over."

It was the sixth homer of the season for the Notre Dame product, moving him into a tie for second place in the Florida State League, three behind teammate Peter O'Brien, who "is running away with the race," Jagielo said.

The four-run seventh made a winner of Zach Woods (1-1), who struck out the side around a hit and a walk in the sixth.

Brevard County's Michael Reed, the Brewers' 15th-ranked prospect, went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three walks and two runs scored in the twinbill.