A-Rod, Yankees shoot for sweep of Indians

Apr 19, 2007, 14:55 GMT

- Alex Rodriguez hopes to continue his hot start to the season this afternoon when the New York Yankees attempt to complete a three- game sweep of the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez belted his ninth home run in 13 games on Wednesday as the Yankees routed the Indians, 9-2, in the middle contest of this set in the Bronx. Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning and the Yankees broke the game open by scoring five times in the third, on the way to their third win in four games.

Derek Jeter had three hits and scored twice and Bobby Abreu added a pair of hits with two RBI for New York. Giambi also drove in two runs, as the Yankees pounded out 14 hits, following up Tuesday night's 10-3 romp.

Rodriguez has hit safely in each of the first 13 games of the season and 18 straight dating back to 2006. His average stands at .365 this year and he leads the majors in home runs and RBI (23).

Kei Igawa (1-0) picked up his first major league win by allowing five hits and two runs over six innings. The 27-year-old left-hander, who played eight years with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League before being signed by the Yankees last December, had five strikeouts against one walk.

Today's game serves as the final test for the Yankees before they head to Boston to face the rival Red Sox in a three-game weekend set.

Jeremy Sowers (0-1) was drilled for nine hits and six runs over 2 2/3 innings, as the Indians suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season.

Travis Hafner had three hits and an RBI for Cleveland, which was limited to five hits.

Getting the call today for New York will be right-hander Darrell Rasner, who is 0-1 this season with a 4.66 earned run average. After getting banged around by the Baltimore Orioles in his season debut, Rasner bounced back with a solid effort against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday. The 26-year-old right- hander, who has never faced the Indians, scattered five hits over 5 1/3 scoreless frames against the A's, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 4-3 win.

When Rasner takes the hill, it will mark the first time prior to September that the Yankees started three straight rookies since Scott Kamieniecki, Jeff Johnson and Wade Taylor at Oakland from July 18-20, 1991.

Cleveland will counter with young righty Fausto Carmona, who was miserable in his season debut on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Carmona was battered for six runs and seven hits in just 4 1/3 frames in that one, as he fell to 0-1 on the year to go along with a 12.46 ERA.

Carmona faced the Yankees three times in a relief role last season and did not record a decision, while pitching to a 2.70 ERA.

The Yankees, who last swept the Indians at home from July 2-4, 2002, won four of their seven matchups with the Indians last season and are 14-8 against them since the start of the 2004 campaign. Cleveland has also struggled in the Bronx, where it has won just three times in its last 12 visits.

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