Rodriguez Homer Isn’t Enough To Carry Yankees
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The Los Angeles Angels prevented Alex Rodriguez from batting with too many runners on base and flashed some power of their own.
Steve Finley and Garret Anderson homered off struggling Mike Mussina, and the Angels limited A-Rod to a solo home run in a 5-1 victory last night over the Yankees.
A night after Rodriguez hit three home runs off Bartolo Colon and had 10 RBI in all, Jarrod Washburn (1-0) and his bullpen allowed A-Rod to come up with just two runners on base.
Rodriguez grounded out leading off the second, homered in the fourth, hit a hard single off the glove of third baseman Dallas McPherson with a runner on second base in the sixth, then struck out against Scot Shields with a man on in the eighth and threw his bat.
Getting a decision for the first time in five starts, Washburn allowed nine hits in 7 2/3 innings and prevented the Yankees from stretching a winning streak to three for the first time this season.
The Angels’ infield helped him by turning three double plays, and McPherson made a diving stop on Derek Jeter’s grounder, turning it into an inning-ending forceout in the seventh.
Washburn also got some help in the first inning from Anderson. Jeter walked leading off the first and Bernie Williams doubled down the left-field line. Anderson picked up the ball and threw to the plate, where Jeter was tagged out by catcher Jose Molina, then limped back to the dugout.
Mussina (1-2), whose ERA climbed to 4.97, gave up 10 hits in seven in nings and is giving up hits at an alarming pace, 43 in 29 innings this year. He allowed just one home run coming in but gave up two-run drives to Finley in the fourth and Anderson in the sixth.
Finley’s homer, which made him 3-for-5 with two homers against Mussina in his career, followed Vladimir Guerrero’s leadoff double and Anderson’s RBI single.
Rodriguez’s homer was his fifth in 30 career at-bats against Washburn and raised his season total to eight. Rodriguez also leads the AL with 26 RBI.
Also yesterday, the Yankees recalled right-hander Chien-Ming Wang from Triple-A Columbus and slotted him to start Saturday against Toronto in his major league debut. Right-hander Colter Bean was optioned to Columbus.
