Kansas City @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2010 ) Kansas City 4, NY Yankees 10
Once again, Alex Rodriguez will provide the subplot for the New York Yankees as they play host to the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
Rodriguez, sitting on 599 career home runs, will try to become the youngest player in major league history to join the 600-homer club. A-Rod, who turns 35 next week, hit his 599th home run on Thursday night as the Yankees pulled away from the Royals to post a 10-4 victory.
While A-Rod’s feat is surely a historic milestone, both he and the Yankees have downplayed it for the most part.
Rodriguez said recently that his chase to crack 600 home runs pales in comparison to his drive to help the Yankees win another World Series title. And the Yankees, who abundantly promoted his assault on the 500-home run plateau, have been much more passive about his latest milestone.
Some have said that A-Rod’s admission to taking performance-enhancing substances has diminished his achievement, and the Yankees are hesitant to make a circus of his feat.
Still, plenty of flashbulbs were popping and signs were waving in A-Rod’s first attempt at the 600-mark. Rodriguez hit his 16th home run of the season and 599th of his career in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s game to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
They added four runs in the eighth inning and gave Rodriguez another chance. A-Rod doubled in the right-center field gap for his third hit of the night. He finished with four RBIs, giving him 78 on the season, as New York won for the 12th time in its last 15 games.
The Royals will start Brian Bannister tonight. A-Rod has three home runs in seven at-bats against the Bannister, who has lost five of his last six decisions.
The Yankees will go with A.J. Burnett, who left his last start after hurling just two-plus innings in a 10-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Burnett admitted after the game that a bout of frustration in the clubhouse left with cuts on both his hands.
On Thursday, CC Sabathia was far from sharp but still notched the win, his American League-leading 13th of the season. Sabathia won his ninth straight decision despite allowing 11 hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings. But Sabathia worked out of several jams and allowed four runs and fanned nine.
Derek Jeter hit an inside-the-park homer in the third inning. Jeter’s drive to center field was gloved for a second by David DeJesus, who crashed into the wall and jammed his thumb in the process. The ball fell out of his glove as DeJesus fell to the field and Jeter raced around the bases for the homer.
DeJesus left the game after the play and his status is uncertain.
Six different Royals had two hits in the game as Kansas City finished with 14 hits but left 14 men on base. Bruce Chen (5-4) took the loss, allowing nine hits and five runs in six innings.