Rodriguez on Repeat

The Bombers skated to an 8-3 victory in the third installment of a four game series with the Royals in Kansas City on Saturday. All-star third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, ripped three homeruns to back another solid performance by pitcher, Phil Hughes. Hughes tossed six innings and allowed all three Kansas City runs to notch his 14th win of the season. The Yankees improved to 72-44 and lead the majors in wins. Rodriguez has 604 career long balls.
Rodriguez stepped to the plate five times and connected for hits on four appearances. After former Bomber, Wilson Betemit, provided the home team with a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Yankees tied the game in the fifth and took the lead for good in the sixth. The Yankees used some big swings, but it was ARod who carried the team. Rodriguez took Sean O’Sullivan deep on a 1-2 offering in the fifth for his first homer of the game. Jorge Posada went long on a full count and Curtis Granderson contributed a solo shot to put New York ahead by three. O’Sullivan yielded four runs on eight hits through 5 1/3 frames and was dealt the loss for Kansas City.
Betemit went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. The shortstop planted his fifth homerun of the year into the stands during the sixth frame to draw Kansas City one run closer. The Royals added a tally on Chris Getz’s groundout but wouldn’t plate another runner during the contest. The Bombers’ offense beyond the seventh came courtesy of their star clean-up hitter. Batting DH, ARod smoked a pair of two-run homers in the seventh and ninth frames to give the Yankees a five run cushion. His second tater of the game came off Kanekoa Texeira and Greg Holland was the victim of the third. It was the fourth time in Rodriguez’s career he went long three times in one game. Joba Chamberlain induced three consecutive groundouts in the home half of the seventh for New York. Boone Logan and David Robertson combined to throw a scoreless eighth as the Bombers’ bullpen looks more and more efficient through August. Sergio Mitre faced the minimum in the ninth to seal the deal for the Yankees.

Parting Points: The RichRod interrogations have begun. I sure can’t wait for college football season.

Song for Sunday- “Addicted” by Simple Plan