Big Unit solid as Yanks roll

Aug 15, 2006, 3:25 GMT

Bronx, NY - Derek Jeter went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and Randy Johnson threw seven solid innings to lead the New York Yankees to a 7-2 victory over the LA Angels of Anaheim to split the four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Johnson (13-9), who hadn't won back-to-back starts since the end of May, picked up the win, allowing two runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts. With his whiff of Tim Salmon in the fourth inning, Johnson became just the third pitcher in history to reach the 4,500 strikeout plateau, joining Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Roger Clemens (4,552).

'That I must've struck out a lot of people somewhere along the line, just not recently,' said Johnson when asked what the 4,500 strikeouts meant to him. 'The run that I had when I was in Arizona and Seattle, I obviously had a lot of strikeouts back then. I could rattle off some things to you but the bottom line is winning ballgames. That's the most important thing to me at this point in my career.'

Jorge Posada finished 3-for-4 with a homer to snap an 0-for-25 skid while Alex Rodriguez drove in a pair of runs for the Yankees, who extended their AL East lead to two games over the Boston Red Sox, who lost 7-4 to Detroit on Monday.

'I'm just glad we were able to win the game for him (Johnson),' said New York manager Joe Torre. 'He pitched with a lot of determination. His stuff was pretty consistent. These guys are tough. They just come at you and they don't try to do too much. They don't try to pull the ball. They're very tough to pitch to. I thought he did a great job of really controlling the game.'

John Lackey (10-9), who has lost his last three starts, gave up three runs on 11 hits while walking four and striking out four in seven innings.

'It would be nice if we could get out to a lead an hang on to one,' said Lackey. 'They've got a great offense and you're not going to go through a game without getting into a situation or two. I was able to minimize the damage and give us a chance to win. If you're going to be a playoff team you've got to figure out how to win games like that.'

Howie Kendrick was 3-of-3 with a run batted in and Juan Rivera had a pair of hits for the Angels, who have lost four of their last six contests.

Tied 2-2 in the seventh, the Yankees put runners on first and second with nobody out. Bobby Abreu dropped a sacrifice bunt before Jason Giambi was intentionally walked to get to Rodriguez, who lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field.

Posada doubled the Yankees lead, 4-2, with a homer to left off Brendan Donnelly to begin the eighth. New York loaded the bases later in the inning when Abreu hit a run-scoring infield single off J.C. Romero and Giambi lifted a sac fly to right, plating Johnny Damon. Rodriguez then hit an RBI- grounder to short, which took a bad hop and bounced off the chest of Orlando Cabrera.

With runners on first and second with one out in the second inning, Posada singled to center, but Reggie Willits fired a bullet home and easily nailed Giambi to keep the game scoreless.

The Yankees got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third off the bat of Jeter. Melky Cabrera doubled to begin the inning, moved to third on Damon's ground out and scored moments later when Jeter crushed the 3-2 offering over the wall in straightaway center.

Jose Molina extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double in the seventh, moved to third on Willits' ground out and scored on Chone Figgins' base hit to center to pull within 2-1. Kendrick then drove in the tying run with a two-bagger off the wall in right-center

Game Notes

Baltimore's Erik Bedard (12-8) throws the first of three games in New York versus Mike Mussina (13-5) on Tuesday. LA's Ervin Santana (12-6) pitches the opener of a brief two-game set in Texas against Vicente Padilla (12-7).

The Angels recalled Willits before the game and optioned pitcher Chris Bootcheck to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Jeter has hit 10 or more homers in each of the last 11 seasons. He has hit six career homers off Lackey.

Abreu's last sac bunt came on July 19, 1998 while with Philadelphia at Shea Stadium.

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