NEW YORK - Melky Cabrera put one into the seats - behind the dugout, that is. Yep, the New York Yankees are doing just fine without any homer help from Alex Rodriguez.
Cabrera hit a bizarre two-run double and Robinson Cano homered, leading Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 7-1 Friday night.
Rodriguez went 1-for-3 and remained at 499 career homers. He hasn't homered in 28 at-bats since July 25 against Kansas City - New York has scored 49 runs in its last five games anyway.
Rodriguez bounced out to shortstop in the first, lined a double to left-center field in the third and walked in the fifth as the crowd showered Kansas City starter Odalis Perez with boos. There were the usual bright flashes of light with each at-bat, and fans gasped at every swing.
He came up with the bases loaded in the sixth and lofted a high fly ball that was met with loud cheers before Mark Teahen settled under it in the grass in medium right. The sacrifice fly gave New York a 6-1 lead.
Kansas City made two errors in the eighth, allowing Rodriguez to get another at-bat.
With lightning beginning to increase in frequency over the Bronx, he flied out on Ryan Braun's first pitch.
The Yankees led 3-1 in the sixth when Cabrera came up with the bases loaded and one out.
He hit a liner off Braun's right foot, and the pitcher frantically looked around before realizing the ball was sailing over the Yankees first-base dugout.
Ross Gload's two-out RBI single in the third was all Kansas City could manage against Wang (13-5), who allowed seven hits in seven-plus innings to win his third straight game. Wang is 10-1 in his last 13 starts.
Cano went 2-for-3 and is batting .462 (36-for-78) with five homers and 20 RBIs in his last 20 games. Cabrera had three hits for New York, which improved to 16-7 since the All-Star break.
Johnny Damon's RBI double off Perez (6-10) gave New York a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
Notes: Braun stayed in the game after Cabrera's liner. ... 2B Mark Grudzielanek's fifth-inning walk was Kansas City's first free pass since Sunday.
Rodriguez went 1-for-3 and remained at 499 career homers. He hasn't homered in 28 at-bats since July 25 against Kansas City - New York has scored 49 runs in its last five games anyway.
Rodriguez bounced out to shortstop in the first, lined a double to left-center field in the third and walked in the fifth as the crowd showered Kansas City starter Odalis Perez with boos. There were the usual bright flashes of light with each at-bat, and fans gasped at every swing.
He came up with the bases loaded in the sixth and lofted a high fly ball that was met with loud cheers before Mark Teahen settled under it in the grass in medium right. The sacrifice fly gave New York a 6-1 lead.
Kansas City made two errors in the eighth, allowing Rodriguez to get another at-bat.
With lightning beginning to increase in frequency over the Bronx, he flied out on Ryan Braun's first pitch.
The Yankees led 3-1 in the sixth when Cabrera came up with the bases loaded and one out.
He hit a liner off Braun's right foot, and the pitcher frantically looked around before realizing the ball was sailing over the Yankees first-base dugout.
Ross Gload's two-out RBI single in the third was all Kansas City could manage against Wang (13-5), who allowed seven hits in seven-plus innings to win his third straight game. Wang is 10-1 in his last 13 starts.
Cano went 2-for-3 and is batting .462 (36-for-78) with five homers and 20 RBIs in his last 20 games. Cabrera had three hits for New York, which improved to 16-7 since the All-Star break.
Johnny Damon's RBI double off Perez (6-10) gave New York a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
Notes: Braun stayed in the game after Cabrera's liner. ... 2B Mark Grudzielanek's fifth-inning walk was Kansas City's first free pass since Sunday.
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