Alex and Andy Attack

Alex Rodriguez celebrated his 20th career grand slam while everyone else was celebrating Memorial Day. The Yankees’ third baseman ripped a four run shot off Cleveland reliever, Chris Perez, to spark a seventh inning rout of the visiting Indians at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon. New York scored six runs in the seventh and added three more in the eighth in an 11-2 final against the Tribe. Veteran left-hander, Andy Pettitte, notched his seventh victory of the season in a seven inning, two-hit outing. Pettitte tied Whitey Ford on the Bombers’ all-time wins list with 236. The New York southpaw can lay claim to the lowest ERA of his career through ten starts. Pettitte has not issued a walk in his last 15 innings.
New York opened up a 1-0 lead in their first at-bats of the day. Rodriguez singled in centerfielder, Curtis Granderson from third base off Tribe tosser, Max Talbot. Talbot allowed three runs through six 1/3 innings and took the loss for Cleveland. The Yankees scattered nine hits against Talbot and finished with a season high 18 on the afternoon. Jhnny Peralta got a run back in the top of the second off Pettitte. Peralta pounded his fourth homerun, a solo shot on a 2-1 count, to tie the game at 1-1. Pettitte’s curveball was biting and effective from that point on. He utilized a cut fastball and occasional changeup to retire the last 14 batters he faced on Monday. The Yankees backed their starter with a run in the fourth to post a one-run lead. Brett Gardner’s base hit scored Nick Swisher with two outs but the speedy Bomber was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning after breaking the tie.
A-Rod broke open a close 2-1 contest in the seventh to give New York’s bullpen a comfortable cushion to work with. Perez’s ill-advised intentional walk to Mark Teixeira pitted runners at every base for the feisty Rodriguez. Rodriguez cranked a 3-1 offering beyond the centerfield fence to give New York a 6-1 edge before Robinson Cano followed with a long ball of his own off Chris Perez. Indian relievers, Chris and Rafael Perez combined to give up five runs in the seventh without recording an out. Pettitte was prepared to come back for the eighth inning after hurling just 90 pitches but Joe Girardi pulled his starter for Chan Ho Park. Park allowed a run on a pair of hits through two frames to hand the Indians their 31st loss of the year.
Thirty-five year old, Jamey Wright, yielded five hits and three runs to New York in an inning and a half relief. Rodriguez clubbed an eighth inning double off Wright to score Ramiro Pena. Pena filled in for the injured Derek Jeter, who took an early exit after getting beaned in the lower thigh with a pitch. The Yankees plated two more tallies off Wright on Cano’s infield single. Former Bomber, Shelly Duncan gave the Indians a run in the top of the ninth off Park, but it was hardly enough to erase a ten run deficit. The Tribe lost three out of four in the Bronx, their only triumph coming after Saturday’s seventh inning scoring barrage.

Parting Points: The Flyers deserved to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but now find themselves in a 0-2 hole. Chicago was the better team last night.

Congratulations to Duke on their first Men’s Lacrosse title.

Roger Federer falls to Robin Soderling at the French.