Kuroda's quality start leads Yankees to 4-3 win over Pirates

Thank God for first and second innings.

Hiroki Kuroda, entering this start just 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA, threw 6 innings of three-run ball as the Yankees, helped out by another four-out save from David Robertson, slipped past the Pirates in today's Game 1, 4-3.

The second hitter Kuroda faced this afternoon, Neil Walker, actually homered to right field, putting the Yanks in an early 1-0 hole. 

That period of trailing, however, would quickly end for the hometown Bombers, who scored a combined 4 runs in their first two at-bats thanks to a 2-run Single from Mark Teixeira, an RBI Single from Brian McCann, and an RBI Double from Brett Gardner. 

Those three plays would put the Pinstripes up 4-1, with that score staying the same until the top of the fifth, when Pittsburgh drove home a pair to bring the game to within one. 

That'd be as close as the visitors would get though, as Matt Daley induced two flyouts on just three pitches in the top of the seventh followed by an inning-ending strikeout from Matt Thornton.

In the eighth, Right-Hander Adam Warren also appeared for the Yankees, picking up two outs to set up Robertson's three-strikeout save, his eighth in as many opportunities this season.