Yankees prospect Greg Bird homers in Arizona Fall League debut

Yankees prospect Greg Bird was 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two doubles and four RBIs during the first day of Arizona Fall League play, leading the Scottsdale Scorpions over the Salt River Rafters, 7-4, on Tuesday.

Bird, who hit 14 home runs in 2014 splitting time between Single-A advanced Tampa and Double-A Trenton, batted fourth and served as the designated hitter. Fellow Yankees farmhand Tyler Austin was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a stolen base for Scottsdale.

The Mets had two players in the Scorpions lineup, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and shortstop Matt Reynolds. Nimmo, playing left and batting second, was 2-for-5 with a double and stolen base. Reynolds went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Mets righthanders Paul Sewald and Julian Hilario and southpaw Dario Alvarez pitched for the Scorpions. Sewald allowed three hits and struck out three in 1.1 innings and Hilario followed with two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out one to earn the win. Alvarez allowed a solo home run to slugger Peter O'Brien in one inning of work.

The Yankees and Mets have 15 players on the Scorpions roster. Yet to see action are: Mets pitcher Rob Whalen and Yankees pitchers Caleb Cotham, Kyle Haynes and Alex Smith; Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge; Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka; Mets second baseman L.J. Mazzilli and Yankees third baseman Dante Bichette Jr.

Teams send several of their top minor-league players to the Arizona Fall League each year for additional experience against high-level competition.

NOTES: O'Brien, a prospect in Arizona's system, was 2-for-3 with the home run off Alvarez for Salt River. O'Brien was traded to the Diamondbacks in the deal that sent Martin Prado to the Yankees. The Yankees had played O'Brien mostly at first base in 2014 due to organizational concerns about his fielding ability as a catcher. But O'Brien was behind the plate for the Rafters on Tuesday.