MLB

Overbay gets another big hit for Yankees

Lyle Overbay isn’t Mark Teixeira, but he has been more than enough for the Yankees

Overbay, who has been doing a fine job filling in for the slugging first baseman as he recovers from a right wrist injury, belted what turned out to be the game-winning home run in Tuesday night’s 7-4 win over the Astros at Yankee Stadium.

Overbay’s solo home run in the eighth gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead before the Astros got a pair of runs in the ninth.

“When you haven’t faced a guy before, you’re kind of just out there looking for a good pitch to hit and he hung me a change-up on the 1-0 pitch and I put a good swing on it, but I missed it,” Overbay said. “I had been chasing the change-ups all night, so I finally stayed back on one and stayed through it.”

Overbay ripped a 1-1 pitch from Brad Peacock over the right-field fence to lead off the eighth, the first of three Yankees insurance runs that made a 4-2 lead into a much more comfortable 7-2 lead. It was Overbay’s second home run in the past three games, and his four home runs and 12 RBIs on the season are more than he had all of last season splitting time between the Diamondbacks and Braves (two home runs, 10 RBIs in 65 games).

Signed by the Yankees in spring training to take on the bulk of the starts at first base while Teixeira remains out, Overbay has been impressive at the plate and in the field. He made several nice defensive plays, and has made just one error in 168 chances this season.

“I think the biggest thing was getting a good pitch to hit,” he said. “I have been swinging at anything and everything and not having a good approach up there.”

Overbay is 5-for-15 over his past four games, helping an offense that is missing Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez from the lineup.

“As soon as I started relaxing a little bit, and sticking with my game plan I started having a little more success,” he said.