David Phelps rebounds with pitching gem, Mark Teixeira blasts 3-run homer

David Phelps wasn't just pitching against the Indians Tuesday night. He also was pitching against an onrushing Michael Pineda.

Pineda, you see, is gearing up to make his Yankees debut in a month or less. Barring injury, the spot he'll be gunning for is the one that belongs to Phelps, the Yankees' No. 5 starter.

So it was a good time for Phelps to rebound from his previous start, when he went one-third of an inning against the Mets.

Phelps, who could hardly have done worse against the Mets, could hardly have done better Tuesday night. He allowed one hit in six scoreless innings as the Yankees topped the Indians, 4-3, before 36,208 at Yankee Stadium.

"Phelpsie showed a lot of guts tonight after a tough outing last week and just pitched great," said Mark Teixeira, who hit a three-run home run a night after belting a grand slam.

The Yankees survived a three-run home run from Drew Stubbs off Joba Chamberlain in the seventh to win their second in a row after losing seven of eight.

Phelps (4-3) walked four and struck out seven in his seventh start and 13th appearance of the season. The Yankees love his versatility, which could be to his detriment if he doesn't pitch lights out and Pineda lights up the radar gun during the 30-day minor-league rehab assignment that begins Saturday in Tampa.

"My No. 1 goal is going to be the same day in and day out," Phelps said. "That's to help this team win ballgames regardless of my role. Obviously, I'd love to stay in the rotation; that's what I've done my whole career and it's what I love doing."

Pineda, who is coming back from shoulder surgery, has never thrown a pitch for the Yankees after they acquired him before last season from Seattle.

"He'll measure up against what we have," general manager Brian Cashman said. "If he's better than anything we have up here, he'll come here. If we don't think he's as good as what we've got, he'll go to Triple-A."

So Phelps probably has to pitch well to remain in the rotation. He left the Yankees with a 4-0 lead after six innings.

Ichiro Suzuki, who hit leadoff and started in center for Brett Gardner, singled in the third to drive in Lyle Overbay with the game's first run off former Met Scott Kazmir (3-3).

Overbay, who started for the second straight night in right, had doubled to lead off the inning. After Ichiro's hit, Jayson Nix singled before Teixeira unloaded on a 3-and-1 pitch and hit it into the lower deck in left for a 4-0 lead.

It was Teixeira's second home run of the season after he started his big-league year by striking out in seven of his first nine at-bats.

Stubbs' homer made it 4-3. Boone Logan got the last out of the seventh, David Robertson wiggled out of trouble in the eighth and Mariano Rivera struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances.