A-Rod youngest to 450 HRs but error helps sink Yanks
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| Regular Season Series |
| New York leads 10-8 (as of Fri 7/21) |
| Tue 4/18 |
@TOR 10, NYY 5 |
Recap |
| Wed 4/19 |
NYY 3, @TOR 1 |
Recap |
| Fri 4/28 |
TOR 7, @NYY 2 |
Recap |
| Sat 4/29 |
@NYY 17, TOR 6 |
Recap |
| Sun 4/30 |
@NYY 4, TOR 1 |
Recap |
| Thu 7/20 |
@TOR 5, NYY 4 |
Recap |
| >Fri 7/21 |
@TOR 7, NYY 3 |
Box Score |
| Sat 7/22 |
NYY 5, @TOR 4 |
Recap |
| Sun 7/23 |
@TOR 13, NYY 5 |
Recap |
| Tue 8/1 |
@NYY 5, TOR 1 |
Recap |
| Wed 8/2 |
@NYY 7, TOR 2 |
Recap |
| Thu 8/3 |
@NYY 8, TOR 1 |
Recap |
| Mon 9/18 |
NYY 7, @TOR 6 |
Recap |
| Tue 9/19 |
NYY 6, @TOR 3 |
Recap |
| Wed 9/20 |
@TOR 3, NYY 2 |
Recap |
| Fri 9/29 |
@NYY 7, TOR 2 |
Recap |
| Sat 9/30 |
TOR 6, @NYY 5 |
Recap |
| Sun 10/1 |
TOR 7, @NYY 5 |
Recap |
| · Complete Schedule: Blue Jays | Yankees |
| Scoring Summary |
| NYY | TOR |
 | 1st | T Glaus singled to center, R Johnson and F Catalanotto scored, V Wells to second. | 0 | 2 |
 | 1st | L Overbay doubled to deep center, V Wells and T Glaus scored. | 0 | 4 |
 | 3rd | A Rodriguez homered to left, J Damon and D Jeter scored. | 3 | 4 |
 | 3rd | E Hinske reached on infield single to second, T Glaus scored, G Zaun to third. | 3 | 5 |
 | 4th | T Glaus hit sacrifice fly to center, F Catalanotto scored, V Wells out at third. | 3 | 6 |
 | 8th | T Glaus homered to left center. | 3 | 7 |
| · View complete Play-By-Play |
| Game Information |
| Stadium | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Attendance | 40,149 (81% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:05 |
| Weather | 75 degrees, cloudy |
| Wind | 5 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Lance Barksdale, First Base - Dale Scott, Second Base - Ron Kulpa, Third Base - Dan Iassogna |
TORONTO (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez enjoyed reaching some milestones
that reminded him how good he is after a week of criticism.
Rodriguez became the youngest player to reach 450 home runs, but
committed his team-leading 18th error in the
New York Yankees' 7-3
loss to the
Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
"It's cool that it came this week because in a week of so much
criticism it's good to get a little reminder that you do some
special things in this game," said Rodriguez, who has struggled in
the field.
| Elias Says |
 Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez, who turns 31 in six days, recorded the 2,000th hit of his major league career Friday night. A-Rod is the eighth player in major league history to reach 2,000 hits before turning 31, joining Ty Cobb (the only player to get there before turning 30), Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Joe Medwick, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.• For more Elias Says, Click here
|
Later Friday night, the Blue Jays traded
Shea Hillenbrand to the
San Francisco Giants for reliever
Jeremy Accardo. Hillenbrand was
designated for assignment during Wednesday's game after writing
"play for yourself" on a board the Blue Jays use to post batting
practice times. He later wrote the "ship was sinking" before
manager John Gibbons challenged him to a fight during a team
meeting.
Rodriguez's three-run homer in the third inning off
A.J. Burnett
was also his 2,000th hit. A-Rod, who turns 31 next Thursday, is the
eighth player to get his 2,000th hit before his 31st birthday.
"Four hundred fifty is something I'm proud of and 2,000 at the
same time, it's kind of unique," Rodriguez said. "Unfortunately,
we couldn't do it with a win, but I'm still going to enjoy it."
A Yankees fan caught the ball and returned it to Rodriguez, who
signed balls for the woman's family. He also posed for pictures.
Ken Griffey Jr. was the previous youngest to reach 450. He was
31 years, 261 days old when he did it Aug. 9, 2001.
But Rodriguez continues to struggle defensively. He made a
costly error on Thursday, and he failed to catch
Vernon Wells'
popup in foul territory in the fourth Friday.
"I didn't see it at all. Tough sky," Rodriguez said.
Wells followed with a grounder to A-Rod, whose throw to first
pulled
Andy Phillips off the bag for an error.
Frank Catalanotto,
who had walked, took second and later scored on
Troy Glaus'
sacrifice fly to make it 6-3.
Fans jeered and one fan held up a sign that read E-Rod.
"You got to put it behind you," he said.
Manager Joe Torre said Rodriguez reached the milestone with
flair.
"That was a laser beam. It's remarkable. He's still 30 years
old and he has 2,000 hits and 450 homers. I'm sure he's very proud
of that, but I'm also sure that he'd rather do something on an
everyday basis. We know he's capable," Torre said. "We need for
him to do it."
Glaus homered and had four RBI and Burnett earned his second
win for the Blue Jays, who have won the first two games of their
four-game series against the second-place Yankees.
"It's a playoff atmosphere with 40,000 people in the stands,
that helps you lock in," Toronto's
Lyle Overbay said. "We have
these guys in front of us and we have to play well against them."
Glaus hit a two-run single in the first, a sacrifice fly in the
fourth and a homer off
Kris Wilson in the eighth.
Burnett (2-3) allowed three runs and six hits while striking out
six and walking one in 7 1/3 innings. Burnett, signed to a
five-year, $55 million contract in the offseason, missed two months
because of a sore elbow.
Gibbons said they've been waiting all
season to have a 1-2 combination of
Roy Halladay and Burnett.
"Doc always pitches good, that's a given. A.J., to get him back
healthy, he's doing what we expected and hoped for," Gibbons said.
Scott Schoeneweis pitched 1 2/3 innings for his first save of
the season and the third of his career.
Toronto jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first off loser
Jaret Wright (6-6).
Reed Johnson led off with a double and scored on Catalanotto's
RBI single. After Wright walked Wells, Glaus hit a two-run single
and Overbay added an RBI double.
Rodriguez's homer cut it to 4-3 in the third, but
Eric Hinske
hit an RBI single in the bottom half.
Wright allowed five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Game notes
Rodriguez passed Jeff Bagwell for 32nd on the career home
run list. ... Rodriguez is one of three active players to reach
2,000 hits with a home run, joining Frank Thomas and Manny Ramirez.