Hot-hitting A-Rod hopes to lead Yanks to sweep of Royals

Sep 9, 2007, 14:46 GMT

- Alex Rodriguez hopes to continue his offensive onslaught this afternoon when the New York Yankees try and complete a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Rodriguez became just the fourth Yankee to reach the 50 home run plateau and added one more good measure on Saturday in New York's 11-5 win. He has also now hit 49 homers while playing third base, breaking the major league record of 48 by Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt (1980) and Seattle's Adrian Beltre (2004) for most in a single year at that position.

Despite nursing a sore ankle, Rodriguez has hit eight homers in his last 10 games. It also gave Rodriguez 515 career homers, moving within six of Willie McCovey and Ted Williams, who are tied for 15th on the all-time list. He also joined Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as the only Yankees to ever reach 50 in a season.

It's the third time Rodriguez has hit at least 50 homers in a season. His career-best was 57 for Texas in 2002.

Wilson Betemit blasted a three-run homer, while Johnny Damon had three hits, including a two-run shot, for the Yankees, who remained three games ahead of Detroit in the American League wild card race. New York also pulled within 5 1/2 games for the lead in the AL East, as Boston lost at Baltimore, 11-5, Saturday night.

All the news was not great, though, for the Yankees, as shortstop Derek Jeter had to leave the game with a sore knee. He is expected to miss today's finale as well, but should be ready when the Yankees open a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Andy Pettitte (13-8) was charged with seven hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings to win for the seventh time in eight decisions.

Brian Bannister (12-8), who had a four-start winning streak broken, was charged with seven hits and seven runs in five-plus frames.

Shane Costa and Emil Brown each had two RBI for the Royals, losers of four in a row.

Getting the ball for New York this afternoon will be Chien-Ming Wang, who will be trying for his 18th win of the season. Wang, who is tied with Boston's Josh Beckett, also in action today, and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia for the major league lead in wins, has won his last four starts and is 17-6 with a 3.68 earned run average. He was superb on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, giving up just a run and five hits in seven innings.

The 27-year-old right-hander has been great against the Royals in his young career, posting a perfect 3-0 mark to go along with a 4.83 ERA in five starts.

Kansas City will counter with right-hander Zack Greinke, who has not given up a run in more than a month. Greinke scattered five hits over five scoreless innings on Monday against the Texas Rangers to earn his first win as a starter since April 10.

Greinke is 1-0 since returning to rotation and has not surrendered a run in any of those three outings, spanning 12 innings. He last gave up a run back on August 4 when he served up five runs and four hits to the Yankees without recording an out in a relief appearance at Yankee Stadium.

The 23-year-old righty is 1-2 lifetime against the Yanks with an 8.38 ERA in six games, three of which have been starts.

The Yankees, who swept the Royals in a three-game series in the Bronx in early August, have won eight of nine from the Royals this season, including five of six in KC. New York is also 15-3 in the last 18 meetings.

© 2007 The Sports Network