NEW YORK - Alex Rodriguez picked up right where Shelley Duncan left off.
Rodriguez hit career homer No. 497 and drove in four runs, helping the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 17-5 Saturday night to complete a sweep of the day-night doubleheader.
In the opener, Duncan's first major league homer capped a five-run sixth inning that carried New York to a 7-3 victory.
Hideki Matsui homered in both games and Luis Vizcaino earned two wins in one day. Matsui has eight homers in his last 16 games.
Johnny Damon drove in four runs in the nightcap and made two great catches during a rare start in left field for New York, which moved within 7.5 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox. Vizcaino (8-2) became the first Yankees pitcher to win twice in a doubleheader since Lindy McDaniel on May 24, 1970, at Cleveland.
Both Duncan and Rodriguez emerged from the dugout for curtain calls after their sixth-inning drives, the first at Yankee Stadium for Duncan and just the latest for Rodriguez.
“I don't think you could really explain it,” said Duncan, whose father and brother both reached the majors. “You get goosebumps. It's one of those things where you're kind of frozen. It's your little moment right there for that brief second.”
B.J. Upton hit his third homer in two days in the opener and singled in two runs in the second game for Tampa Bay, which has lost 15 of its last 19 road games. Upton went 3-for-9 in the doubleheader and is batting .467 (15-for-32) in nine games since coming off the disabled list.
All-Star left fielder Carl Crawford of the Devil Rays left the first game with a sprained left ankle that he hurt beating out an infield single. X-rays were negative, but he didn't play in the nightcap.
“I don't think it's bad,” Crawford said. “It didn't even really swell up. It's just sore.”
New York led 7-2 after three innings in the second game but Tampa Bay cut it to 7-5 on Josh Wilson's sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Yankees responded in the bottom half, highlighted by Damon's bloop, two-run double and A-Rod's major league-leading 33rd homer of the season.
Rodriguez also doubled twice and finished with four RBIs. He remains on pace to be the fastest player to 500 homers.
J.P. Howell (1-4) gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings for Tampa Bay, which recalled him from Triple-A Durham between games.
Duncan had already had a memorable day by the time he entered the nightcap in the eighth. He slapped some heads and pounded forearms with a few teammates after his first homer into the seats in left, leaving several of them chuckling about the 27-year-old's exuberance.
“I tried to warn the guys last night when he got here that if he scored to be careful, and lo and behold I'm the first one that he tried to take out today,” said Andy Phillips, who played with Duncan at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and scored when he went deep.
Robinson Cano's run-scoring single put New York in front 3-2 and Phillips drove in two more with a base hit before Duncan went deep against Jae Kuk Ryu (1-2). Duncan, called up on Friday, picked up his first big league hit and RBI in Friday night's game.
Ty Wigginton and Raul Casanova also homered in the first game for Tampa Bay, which has never swept a doubleheader.
Kei Igawa allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings for New York in the opener. The Japanese left-hander is 0-1 in his last six starts and hasn't won since he threw six shutout innings in relief against Boston on April 28.
“If he keeps the game manageable like he did today, that's a plus for us,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Notes: Vizcaino leads major league relievers in wins. ... New York optioned reliever Edwar Ramirez to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the opener and promoted Matt DeSalvo, who started the second game. ... New York DH Jason Giambi took batting practice for the first time since hurting his left foot and hopes to rejoin the Yankees by early next month. He took 20 swings in a batting cage at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., and could start hitting on the field.
In the opener, Duncan's first major league homer capped a five-run sixth inning that carried New York to a 7-3 victory.
Hideki Matsui homered in both games and Luis Vizcaino earned two wins in one day. Matsui has eight homers in his last 16 games.
Johnny Damon drove in four runs in the nightcap and made two great catches during a rare start in left field for New York, which moved within 7.5 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox. Vizcaino (8-2) became the first Yankees pitcher to win twice in a doubleheader since Lindy McDaniel on May 24, 1970, at Cleveland.
Both Duncan and Rodriguez emerged from the dugout for curtain calls after their sixth-inning drives, the first at Yankee Stadium for Duncan and just the latest for Rodriguez.
“I don't think you could really explain it,” said Duncan, whose father and brother both reached the majors. “You get goosebumps. It's one of those things where you're kind of frozen. It's your little moment right there for that brief second.”
B.J. Upton hit his third homer in two days in the opener and singled in two runs in the second game for Tampa Bay, which has lost 15 of its last 19 road games. Upton went 3-for-9 in the doubleheader and is batting .467 (15-for-32) in nine games since coming off the disabled list.
All-Star left fielder Carl Crawford of the Devil Rays left the first game with a sprained left ankle that he hurt beating out an infield single. X-rays were negative, but he didn't play in the nightcap.
“I don't think it's bad,” Crawford said. “It didn't even really swell up. It's just sore.”
New York led 7-2 after three innings in the second game but Tampa Bay cut it to 7-5 on Josh Wilson's sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Yankees responded in the bottom half, highlighted by Damon's bloop, two-run double and A-Rod's major league-leading 33rd homer of the season.
Rodriguez also doubled twice and finished with four RBIs. He remains on pace to be the fastest player to 500 homers.
J.P. Howell (1-4) gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings for Tampa Bay, which recalled him from Triple-A Durham between games.
Duncan had already had a memorable day by the time he entered the nightcap in the eighth. He slapped some heads and pounded forearms with a few teammates after his first homer into the seats in left, leaving several of them chuckling about the 27-year-old's exuberance.
“I tried to warn the guys last night when he got here that if he scored to be careful, and lo and behold I'm the first one that he tried to take out today,” said Andy Phillips, who played with Duncan at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and scored when he went deep.
Robinson Cano's run-scoring single put New York in front 3-2 and Phillips drove in two more with a base hit before Duncan went deep against Jae Kuk Ryu (1-2). Duncan, called up on Friday, picked up his first big league hit and RBI in Friday night's game.
Ty Wigginton and Raul Casanova also homered in the first game for Tampa Bay, which has never swept a doubleheader.
Kei Igawa allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings for New York in the opener. The Japanese left-hander is 0-1 in his last six starts and hasn't won since he threw six shutout innings in relief against Boston on April 28.
“If he keeps the game manageable like he did today, that's a plus for us,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Notes: Vizcaino leads major league relievers in wins. ... New York optioned reliever Edwar Ramirez to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the opener and promoted Matt DeSalvo, who started the second game. ... New York DH Jason Giambi took batting practice for the first time since hurting his left foot and hopes to rejoin the Yankees by early next month. He took 20 swings in a batting cage at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., and could start hitting on the field.
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.