Yankees 7 Charlotte 2

Reese cleared the bases in the third inning with his ninth homer. He also lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth and doubled in the sixth.

"I got a good pitch to hit and it was nice to break the game open a little bit," said Reese, who has been batting third in the lineup following the promotions of Andy Phillips and Shelley Duncan to New York.

"I don't think we're ever going to be able to pick up what Phillips and Shelley brought to this lineup, but hopefully we can scratch some out and get a couple big hits here and there."

Reese had a six-RBI game for Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League on Aug. 5, 2000.

Brett Gardner and Raul Chavez each had two hits and scored twice for the Yankees (56-43), who have won 10 of their last 12 games.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Jeff Karstens (1-0) made his first Triple-A start and fourth rehab appearance since breaking his right fibula in late April. He allowed one run on three hits and a walk while fanning six in six frames.

Karstens' last start came for Double-A Trenton on July 17.

"Today was a big jump from my last time out, just facing the hitters at the Triple-A level," Karstens said, "but it makes the game a lot easier when you're not pitching from behind. It's kind of been a down season for me, but I'm trying to take the positive out of it, that I still have another month and a half left, maybe more."

Chase Wright allowed one run on two hits while fanning two in three frames to pick up his first save.

Knights starter Nick Masset (0-1) was roughed up for four runs -- three earned -- on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.

Jason Bourgeois belted a solo homer, his third, in the third for Charlotte (47-56).