Rodriguez powers Yankees past Tigers

Aug 31, 2006, 20:53 GMT

Bronx, NY - Alex Rodriguez broke out of a prolonged slump with three hits, including a home run, and Randy Johnson pitched into the ninth inning, as the New York Yankees held on for a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez was mired in a 1-for-24 slide entering the game and popped up with the bases loaded and one out in his first at-bat. However, he singled in the tying run in the third, doubled and scored in the fifth, and connected for his 27th homer of the season leading off the seventh.

'It finally felt good to contribute and swing the bat much better,' said Rodriguez. 'The most important thing is the team keeps winning. That's all I really care about. I want to make sure as we move forward I'm in the mix of most of the wins.'

Bobby Abreu singled home two runs, Bernie Williams chipped in a pair of RBI singles in the victory and Johnny Damon was 3-for-5 with a run scored. New York bounced back from a 5-3 setback in the nightcap of Wednesday's day/night doubleheader and won for the third time in its last four games.

Magglio Ordonez, Omar Infante and Marcus Thames homered for the Tigers, who have lost six of their last eight. Detroit got a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth from Craig Monroe to win Wednesday night's game and tried to pull off another last-inning comeback on Thursday.

Johnson (15-10) allowed four runs and four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts to improve to 4-1 in his last five starts. He was on his way to a second straight complete game, but could not get an out in the ninth.

The big left-hander's lone walk of the game came leading off the ninth, as Monroe drew a four-pitch free pass. Thames then lifted a 3-2 pitch just over the wall in the right field corner for his 24th homer to pull the Tigers within two.

'I was disappointed with the ninth inning, I gave up two more runs,' Johnson stated. 'The first eight would have been quality. We won. That's all that matters.'

Mariano Rivera, who underwent a precautionary MRI exam for mild discomfort in his right elbow, came on and yielded a double to Magglio Ordonez. The Yankee closer, who watched Scott Proctor fail in his normal role on Wednesday, then got a pair of grounders and a tapper in front of the plate for the third out and his 33rd save.

'It's just a mild strain, which is good,' said Rivera about the initial results of the MRI exam. 'I wanted to pitch today.'

Jeremy Bonderman (11-7) took the loss for the Tigers and fell to 0-3 in his last seven starts. He was tagged for four runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings and has not won since July 24 at Cleveland.

'He hasn't been good for a few starts now,' said Tigers manager Jim Leyland about Bonderman. 'We didn't pitch very good and we didn't pitch very smart.'

The Yankees put together a two-out rally in the fourth to snap a 1-1 tie. After Bonderman retired the first two batters of the inning, Melky Cabrera and Damon singled before Derek Jeter drew a walk. Abreu then laced a sharp single into right field to score two runs for a 3-1 lead.

Rodriguez led off the home fifth with a double to left field and scored on a base hit by Williams to make it 4-1.

The Tigers got one back in the sixth when Infante led off the inning with his third homer of the season.

New York left two on in the bottom of the sixth, then tacked on two big runs in the seventh. Rodriguez started it with a blast over the wall in left field for his first homer in seven games and Robinson Cano followed with a double before scoring on a single by Williams for a 6-2 cushion.

'When you play a team like the Yankees, you have to play the game hard,' said Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

The Yankees put their first two batters of the game on base when Damon and Jeter singled. After Abreu just missed a three-run homer on a long fly ball down the right field line, he popped out and Jorge Posada walked to load the bases. Bonderman, though, got Alex Rodriguez on a pop up and struck out Cano to keep New York off the board.

Detroit responded immediately in the second when Ordonez drove a 2-0 pitch from Johnson over the wall in left field for his 18th homer.

New York tied it in the third when Abreu doubled off the left field wall and scored on a two-out, bloop single into left by Rodriguez.

'I was so happy to get that ball to land,' said Rodriguez said about his tying single. 'I was like a kid in a candy store. I was real happy about that.'

Game Notes

Alex Rodriguez's RBI single in the third inning snapped an 0-for-23 slump against right-handed pitchers.

The Yankees played without slugger Jason Giambi because of a sore left wrist.

Johnson improved to 10-7 lifetime against the Tigers, including 2-0 this year.

Leyland was ejected by home plate umpire James Hoye for arguing between the top and bottom of the seventh inning.

© 2006 The Sports Network