A-Rod homers in return as Yanks outslug Angels

Jul 7, 2007, 2:40 GMT

Bronx, NY - Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup with a bang, clubbing a two-run homer, as New York outlasted the Angels, 14-9, in the opener of a three-game series.

Rodriguez had two hits and scored three times, and Jorge Posada went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Yankees, who had a season-high 19 hits and won for the fourth time in five contests to get back within a game of .500 (41-42).

Melky Cabrera had three hits with an RBI and scored three times for New York. Johnny Damon, playing left field for the first time since June 22, 2001 when he was with Oakland, had a pair of hits with an RBI and scored twice in the win.

Every player in the Yankee lineup had at least a hit and an RBI.

Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins each drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which despite leading the AL West, has lost three of four and seven of its last 10 games.

Rodriguez sat out his first game of the season on Thursday due to a strained left hamstring, which he suffered Monday against Minnesota. He made a couple of good defensive plays in the second, including starting an inning-ending double play. Rodriguez then snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a double to start the bottom of the inning.

'We don't care right now,' Rodriguez said of how the Yankees win. 'Right now there aren't a lot of guys who aren't 100 percent. You just have to play.'

However, his big hit came in the sixth when the Yankees scored three times to take the lead for good at 12-9. Damon walked to start the inning, stole second and scored as Cabrera singled up the middle and center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. bobbled the ball. Derek Jeter then struck out, but Rodriguez lined an 0-1 pitch from Chris Bootcheck (2-2) over the wall in left field.

It was Rodriguez' major league-leading 29th homer of the year and the 493rd of his career, tying Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 22nd place on the all-time list.

The Angels had runners at second and third with one out in the seventh, but Scott Proctor replaced Edwar Ramrez (1-0) on the mound and struck out Matthews on a check swing and then fanned Garret Anderson to end the threat.

Cabrera and Jeter singled in runs in the eighth.

Ramirez, who allowed two hits and a run over 1 1/3 innings, picked up his first major league win.

The starting pitchers for both teams were bombarded, as Bartolo Colon surrendered seven hits and seven runs over two-plus innings for LA, while Andy Pettitte was drilled for 10 hits and eight runs over five-plus frames for the Yankees.

'The ball was up a lot tonight and not in the zones he needed,' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Colon. 'His stuff is good. His stuff is there. I didn't think he repeated pitches like we've seen in the past today. His command is suffering a little bit.'

Pettitte has allowed eight runs in two straight games.

'I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing,' Pettitte said. 'Maybe my ball is staying on the same plane a little bit. I don't know.'

Posada singled in a run in the second inning and Bobby Abreu hit a sacrifice fly, but the Angels went ahead in what would be a wild third inning. Jose Molina's RBI ground-rule double got the visitors on the board, and Cabrera doubled in two later in the frame.

The Yankees got those runs back, and then some, by using six hits to score six times in the bottom half. Hideki Matsui walked with the bases loaded, Posada doubled in two runs and Robinson Cano's infield hit drove in another. Miguel Cairo executed a squeeze bunt, allowing Posada to come home, and Damon singled in Cano to end the binge.

Figgins and Cabrera singled in runs in the fifth, but Cairo tripled in one in the bottom of the inning for a 9-5 margin. Cairo's hit would have scored two runs, but Cano was called out for missing third base, ending the inning on a rare call from umpire Doug Eddings.

Matthews doubled in a run, and scored later in the sixth inning on a Cairo throwing error. Figgins' two-run base hit up the middle tied the game.

'The one thing is you want to play with a lead with those guys, kind of neutralize their National League style of game,' Rodriguez said. 'They present a lot of odd situations, when they try to hit and run. They do a lot of things well. Even though we were tied, we never felt we were trailing against them.'

Game Notes

The Angels swept a three-game set at home against the Yankees from May 25-27...Posada scored the 697th run of his career in the third inning, surpassing Thurman Munson and tying Gil McDougald for 25th place on the Yankees' all-time runs list, brought his career total to 819 RBI and surpass Dave Winfield for sole possession of 15th place on the Yankees' all-time RBI list...Rodriguez said he would make a decision after Saturday's game to see if he'll play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday...Angels DH Vladimir Guerrero, who went 0-for-5 had his season-high nine-game hitting streak snapped, announced that he would participate in the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday...Cano had three hits.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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