Gittens clubs three homers for RiverDogs

Hitless in his last three games and coming off a three-strikeout performance, Chris Gittens wasn't happy. By the end of Thursday night, he certainly was.

The Yankees infield prospect slugged three homers for the first time in his career and drove in a personal-best six runs as Class A Charleston raced out early and held on late for an 8-6 win at West Virginia.

To continue building on a strong first half of June, Gittens said he looked back on his previous experience against teams like the Power.

"Coming in, I knew that the Pirates like to go after you," he said of the Pittsburgh affiliate. "Playing them in Spring Training a lot and even in Rookie ball from the GCL playing the Pirates a lot, I knew that their mind-set was just to throw strikes, come after you, get ahead in the count. I just wasn't trying to do too much."

That advanced scouting paid huge dividends. Gittens started his night -- and the RiverDogs' scoring -- with a two-run homer to center field in the first inning. After Charleston added a run on Angel Aguilar's leadoff homer to left-center in the second, Gittens tattooed a solo blast to center in the third.

"They love their fastballs a lot," he said. "Coming into the game, I was just like, 'OK, jump on the fastball early so I don't have to worry about getting in trouble later on in an 0-2 count or 1-2 count.'"

After mashing his first two homers on the first pitch he saw from West Virginia's Dario Agrazal (3-6) in each at-bat, Gittens said he knew he might need an adjustment in his third trip to the plate against the right-hander with two men on in the fifth.

"After the first one, I went up with the same mind-set. I saw two pitches in two at-bats. The third one, I was like, 'OK, Chris, they might throw you something off. Don't go for it.' He came with a slider, then a changeup, then threw me a fastball again, and that's what got me the third one."

When Gittens connected on the 2-0 offering, he said he thought he missed it.

"No, I didn't (think it was gone)," he said. "I was mad. I was yelling at myself because I missed a 2-0 fastball. I saw it go up, and the right fielder (Casey Hughston) kept backing up, backing up. Then I saw him trying to climb the fence, and it went out. I was like, 'Well, I guess that's how it goes sometimes.'"

Gittens said his third multi-homer showing of the year and second in five days proved to be a return to basics after a rough few days at the plate.

"Yesterday, I was like, 'OK, Chris, Calm down,'" he said of his outing vs. Augusta. "I was doing a little too much. I went 0-for-3 with three K's and a walk. Coming into today, our hitting coach (Greg Colbrunn) was like, 'OK, calm down. Get your pitch to hit and drive it somewhere. You don't have to do too much to hit it out.'"

Having sported just eight professional home runs entering this season, the third-year pro has mashed six this month alone. Gittens has slugged .654 in 15 June games.

"Just knowing that I can handle any pitch [is huge]," he said. "Coming into it, I was kind of -- I wouldn't say down -- but I was kind of upset with myself because of yesterday. It took a weight off of my shoulders."

Charleston starter Luis Cedeno (4-2) was the beneficiary of all that offense. He allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings.