Yanks prospect Bichette homers twice

Even if Dante Bichette Jr. never reaches the Major Leagues, he will still be able to brag that he homered off of a Major League pitcher.

Playing in his second Grapefruit League game but taking his first swings, the New York Yankees' No. 8 prospect smacked two home runs in two at-bats Saturday afternoon in the Yanks' 11-9 victory over the Houston Astros.

Bichette, New York's second-round draftee in 2011, smacked a solo shot off of Ruben Alaniz in the sixth inning and another against veteran reliever Brandon Lyon in the eighth. He entered the game in the fifth inning as a defensive replacement at third base for Eduardo Nunez.

Veterans Robinson Cano and Raul Ibanez as well as farmhand Jose Gil also went yard.

Bichette, a 19-year-old Orlando, Fla., native, lifted four longballs while batting .335 in his first 54 games as a pro last season, split between the Gulf Coast and New York-Penn Leagues. He is set to begin 2012 at Class A Charleston of the South Atlantic League.

Other New York prospects didn't fare as well Saturday. Yanks No. 4 prospect Mason Williams, who also entered as an in-game replacement, struck out but scored a run in two at-bats and No. 10 prospect Adam Warren (1-0) yielded six runs on 10 hits over 5 2/3 frames.

Former Astros top prospect Jordan Lyles (0-3) allowed eight runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings.