The Yanks jack three homers, but can’t hold a four-run seventh-inning lead.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Bobby Abreu (RF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Jason Giambi (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
L – Kevin Reese (LF)
R – Carl Pavano (P)

Pitchers: Carl Pavano, Mike Myers, Kyle Farnsworth, Ron Villone, Jason Jones, Brian Bruney, T.J. Beam

Subs: Josh Phelps (1B), Miguel Cairo (2B), Chris Basak (SS), Angel Chavez (3B), Todd Pratt (C), Kevin Thompson (RF), Bronson Sardinha (RF), Shawn Garrett (LF), Ben Davis (PH), Andy Phillips (PH)

Opposition: Two-thirds of the Reds starters.

Big Hits: A three-run homer by Bobby Abreu (1 for 3) and solo shots by Alex Rodriguez (1 for 4) and Josh Phelps (1 for 2), and doubles by Robinson Cano (2 for 4) and Kevin Reese (1 for 4). Derek Jeter was 2 for 2 with two walks.

Who Pitched Well?: Kyle Farnsworth struck out two of the three men he faced in a perfect sixth inning. Non-invitee Jason Jones retired the only two men he faced to stop the bleeding caused by Ron Villone.

Who Didn’t?: Villone allowed three runs on two walks and two hits including an Enrique Cruz triple while only managing to record one out. Brian Bruney struck out the side in the eighth, but also allowed a game-tying run on two hits, one of them an RBI double by Dewayne Wise. Brought into a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, T.J. Beam gave up doubles to the first two batters he faced, the second a game-winner by Edwin Encarnacion. By comparison, Carl Pavano’s start (three runs on eight hits and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings) almost looks good . . . almost. Meat did escape a no-outs, bases-loaded jam in the first via a shallow fly out and a double play.

Oopsies: Jason Giambi misjudged a couple of balls hit in the second base hole, retreating to cover the bag rather than attempting to make a play on them.

Ouchies: Bobby Abreu played the field for the first time this spring. Andy Pettitte will indeed miss his scheduled start today, but says his back is feeling better.

Battles: Josh Phelps hit a solo homer in two trips. It was his second longball of the spring, tying him with Jorge Posada for second among the Yankee campers. Before the game, Joe Torre said he’d limit Andy Phillips to first base and DH and might even use him in a minor league game to allow him to concentrate on his hitting and said that Todd Pratt is in a similar place in terms of needing to catch up to the rest of the hitters at the plate due to his early heel injury. Pratt walked in his only plate appearance yesterday, the first walk drawn by a backup catcher candidate this spring. Wil Nieves caught Chien-Ming Wang in yesterday’s minor league game. Villone, Bruney and Beam combined to blow the game over the final three innings, with Villone and Beam having the worst outings. Villone’s spring ERA is now 9.00.

Notes: What Derek Jeter estimated to be about 100 bees interrupted the game in the fifth inning by swarming in the infield and chasing the Yankees off the field. Chien-Ming Wang, Chris Britton and Scott Proctor pitched in a minor league game in Tampa against the Phillies triple-A squad. Wang allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four in six innings. Britton struck out three in two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Proctor allowed just two hits in two scoreless innings. Neither Britton, nor Proctor walked a batter.