Yanks may get A-Rod back vs. Angels in Bronx

Jul 6, 2007, 15:00 GMT

- The New York Yankees may have All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez back in the lineup this evening, when they open a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez, who is mired in an 0-for-19 slump, missed his first game of the season on Thursday due to a strained hamstring he sustained in Monday's win over Minnesota.

The two-time MVP, though, has had tremendous success against the Angels' starter tonight, Bartolo Colon, as he is hitting .444 with eight homers and 17 RBI off of him. Back on April 26, 2005, A-Rod reached Colon for three homers and a career-high 10 RBI.

Manager Joe Torre said he is questionable for tonight's affair.

The Yankees did not need Rodriguez on Thursday, as Hideki Matsui ripped a two- out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift his team past Minnesota, 7-6, in the finale of a four-game set in the Bronx. Melky Cabrera was 3-for-5 with a three-run homer for New York, which took three of four in the series.

Robinson Cano also homered for the Yankees.

Kei Igawa started on the hill for the Yankees but was ineffective again. The much-hyped Japanese left-hander allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings to raise his earned run average to 7.14 on the season. Kyle Farnsworth (1-1) got his first win of the season after pitching a perfect eighth. Mariano Rivera worked a shaky ninth, but picked up his 11th save of the season and the 424th of his career, tying John Franco for third on the all-time list.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Yankees will be left-hander Andy Pettitte, who had one of the worst outings of his career in his last start on Sunday against Oakland. The Athletics touched Pettitte for eight runs (seven earned) and nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings to drop him to 4-6 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 3.77.

Pettitte is 11-6 lifetime against the Angels with a 3.79 ERA.

Colon, meanwhile, is winless in his last three starts and is 6-4 on the season with a 5.79 ERA. Colon suffered the loss against Baltimore on Saturday, as he surrendered three runs and eight hits in six innings.

Colon has faced the Yankees 12 times (11 starts) and is 4-5 against them with a 5.32 ERA.

The Angels salvaged the finale of their three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Thursday, as Kelvim Escobar tossed seven strong innings to earn his 10th win of the season in Anaheim's 5-2 win. Maicer Izturis had a two-run triple and also scored a run for the Angels, who won for just the third time in their last nine games.

Escobar (10-3), who found out just before the game that he would not be representing the American League at the upcoming All-Star Game, allowed just one run, walked three and fanned eight over seven innings.

The right-hander was not one of the 11 pitchers named to the AL squad for the upcoming Midsummer Classic last Sunday, despite putting up some of the best numbers of his career. He was then included on a list of five candidates eligible for the last available spot on the roster, which was determined by fan balloting that ended Thursday. Boston Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima won the AL vote, while San Diego Padres starter Chris Young was chosen for the NL.

Vladimir Guerrero, who will make his fifth All-Star start in San Francisco next week, extended his season-best hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single in the first.

The Angels swept the Yankees in a three-game set in the Bronx earlier in the season and are 20-12 against them since the start of the 2004 campaign.

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