New York Yankees survive Todd Frazier triple play, top Cincinnati Reds

NEW YORK -- At this point, Todd Frazier can laugh about his first home game for the New York Yankees on the drive home down the New Jersey shore.

It was not necessarily amusing at the time, but Frazier's triple play accounted for the first run in the bottom of the second inning and the Yankees held on for a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

After getting a warm ovation from a crowd that included several hundred people from his native Toms River N.J., roughly 90 miles south of Yankee Stadium, Frazier came up with the bases loaded following three straight singles.

"That has to be a record -- first home at-bat with the Yankees hitting into a triple play. It's funny to laugh now but I was upset at the time," Frazier said. "But it was a great experience from start to finish, and we got the W."

It was the big moment some have experienced in their home debuts for the Yankees but this was notable for another reason and it ended with center fielder Brett Gardner teasing him and another teammate jokingly asking him for the ball.

"You can't make that up," Frazier said. "Gardy was laughing at me and someone asked for the ball I think, but it's unbelievable; you get into a hitter's count, and that's the way it goes. We got a run in, but at the same time, hopefully that doesn't ever happen again."

Frazier hit a 3-1 pitch to shortstop Jose Peraza, who stepped on second for the force play for the first out before throwing the ball to first baseman Joey Votto for the second out.

Didi Gregorius, who began the play as the baserunner at second, initially held up and was late to advance to third. He was caught in a rundown when Votto threw the ball to third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

Suarez continued the rundown, and Peraza was credited with the third out when Gregorius was ruled out for running out of the base line. By the time the outs were recorded, Matt Holliday scored from third after opening the inning with a single.

Frazier was not credited with an RBI on the play that gave New York a 1-0 lead and prevented a big inning.

"I will never forget that," Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo said through an interpreter. "Triple play, bases loaded, that's amazing. If double plays are the best friend of a pitcher, what about a triple play?"

It was the first triple play hit into by the Yankees since Sept. 27, 2011, at Tampa Bay. New York hit into a triple play at home for the first time since Randy Velarde did so May 29, 2000.

Cincinnati turned a triple play for the first time since Sept. 12, 1995, against the Florida Marlins.

It also was the first triple play where a run scored since Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima hit into one at Minnesota on May 27, 2006.

The Yankees scored their next three runs in more conventional ways. Aaron Judge singled and scored on Gregorius' sacrifice fly to right in the fourth, and Austin Romine lined an RBI double to right in the fifth. Gregorius' 15th homer of the season accounted for the final margin.

The Reds scored on Arismendy Alcantra's groundout in the sixth and Billy Hamilton's double in the eighth.

For a while, Frazier's triple play was not the only memorable event for the Yankees as Jordan Montgomery (7-5) faced the minimum and took a no-hitter into the sixth.

The rookie left-hander lost his no-hit bid two pitches into the inning when Scott Schebler lined a double to center field. Before facing Schebler, Montgomery held the Reds hitless on 54 pitches, getting a double play to end the second and a sliding stop by shortstop Gregorius on Devin Mesoraco's grounder to end the fifth.

Montgomery allowed one run and two hits in 6 2/3 innings. Montgomery was lifted after a single by Adam Duvall, and he exited to a standing ovation from the fans.

Tommy Kahnle recorded the final out of the seventh, and Dellin Betances heard boos after allowing Hamilton's double off right fielder Judge's glove in the eighth. Adam Warren recorded the final out of the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman notched his 12th save with a scoreless ninth.

Castillo (1-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings as the Reds lost for the 10th time in 12 games on a night when they turned the 30th triple play in team history.

"As unusual as the play was, if we would have won that game we could have gone back to that play and say that was a game saver because that was a huge inning waiting to happen, bases-loaded nobody out and they end up scoring one on that triple play," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "So it could have been a spectacular, an even bigger event today than it was."

NOTES: Reds SS Zack Cozart did not start as the team tries to rest his quadriceps but entered a pinch hitter in the eighth. He reached third on Billy Hamilton's double but was removed for precautionary reasons. ... A fan in the seats down the first base line was bloodied and received medical attention after getting hit in the head by a foul ball off Yankee RF Aaron Judge's bat in the eighth inning. ... Reds RHP Scott Feldman (right knee) is making progress with his throwing program. Manager Bryan Price said Feldman would join the team this weekend in Miami to continue his rehab. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) and 1B Tyler Austin (strained right hamstring) began hitting off a tee and are progressing well, but there is no timetable for either player's return.