HOUSTON — The Yankees' third base situation is hardly settled.
Kelly Johnson has yet to prove he can play there every day and Yangervis Solarte never started a game in the majors prior to Thursday's 4-2 win over the Astros.
But for one night, it worked, as Solarte made the plays defensively and found a way to collect three hits and a walk.
"There were times I dreamed big for my debut," Solarte said through an interpreter after the Yankees avoided an embarrassing three-game sweep to the Astros to start the season. "When you see players like [Derek] Jeter, you expect big things for yourself."
Solarte singled and scored in the second as the Yankees took their first lead of the season and followed that by turning a shallow fly to left into a double when it eluded a diving Robbie Grossman. He scored again later in the inning on a Jeter single.
In the seventh, Solarte picked up his first RBI in unconventional fashion. With two outs, he was fooled by a changeup and popped the ball up. Catcher Carlos Corporan seemed to be under it, but backed away at the last second, allowing the ball to drop for a single, as Ichiro Suzuki raced around from second to score.
Solarte finished his night by avoiding a broken face, when he snagged a liner from Jose Altuve.
"It almost hit my teeth," Solarte said.
The game was a continuation of a stunning rise for Solarte, a 26-year-old who bounced around the minors and appeared destined to stay there with Eduardo Nunez ticketed for the utility-infield role. But when Nunez couldn't shake the inconsistency that plagued him throughout his career and Solarte impressed with a solid spring at the plate and versatility in the field, he found himself on the roster after spending the last two seasons in the Rangers organization.
Solarte made his debut Wednesday as a pinch hitter, then started at third Thursday.
"He had quite a night," Joe Girardi said. "He seemed to be on the ball all night."
And he was smart enough to talk to Jeter in the infield.
"He just told me to keep going," Solarte said in English. "Vamos, vamos."
On Thursday, Solarte listened.
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