NEW YORK — Playing without Alex Rodriguez again, the New York Yankees found plenty of power elsewhere.
Derek Jeter homered twice, Jorge Posada snapped out of a slump with his first grand slam in nearly six years and New York beat the Houston Astros 9-3 on Saturday behind another solid outing by Javier Vazquez.
“Everybody’s got to step up — with him or without him,” Posada said, referring to Rodriguez.
Vazquez (6-5) pitched seven solid innings for his third straight win and fourth in five starts.
Jeter hit a leadoff shot and drove in four runs for the Yankees, who roughed up struggling left-hander Wandy Rodriguez and beat Houston without Alex Rodriguez (right hip) for the second consecutive day.
New York moved a season-best 16 games over .500 at 39-23 with its seventh home victory in a row — also a season high.
Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee hit long solo homers for the Astros, who had won three straight and eight of 10 before arriving at Yankee Stadium.
In the bottom of the first, Jeter sent a 2-0 pitch from Rodriguez (3-9) into the Houston bullpen for his 24th career leadoff homer, tying Rickey Henderson for the franchise record.
