Rodriguez remains stuck at 499 as Yanks clobber ChiSox

Yankees 8, White Sox 1

NEW YORK (AP) -- On another night of record power, A-Rod was still absent.

Alex Rodriguez remained stuck at 499 career homers, going 0-for-4 in the New York Yankees' 8-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night and matching the longest hitless streak of his big league career at 21 at-bats.

"We've been swinging the bats incredibly well, and you kind of just want to join the parade a little bit." Rodriguez said, "but, again, the most important thing here is to win."

Jorge Posada homered twice, and Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Shelley Duncan also connected to give the Yankees 13 home runs in two games. That tied the team record for a two-game span set in a doubleheader at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.

Rodriguez is hitless since he went deep at Kansas City last Wednesday, dropping his season average to .295.

"There would be a lot more pressure if we weren't winning games, that's for sure," he said. "It's just the way it goes. I just keep going. I'll hit it sometime before the year ends."

He flied out to left twice and grounded out to shortstop before his final at-bat in the seventh. He got a full-count pitch from reliever Ryan Bukvich and bounced out to third as camera flashes throughout the stands lit up Yankee Stadium.

The history-seeking crowd got a little jab earlier in the game from White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who had John Danks throw over to first with A-Rod up and Bobby Abreu aboard.

"He threw to first on purpose a couple of times so the fans can get a nice flashbulb of that," Rodriguez said. "I knew it was Ozzie behind [it]. I found out a couple innings later."

Scott Podsednik hit an RBI triple and A.J. Pierzynski went 2-for-4 for Chicago, which has lost three straight. The White Sox have scored just seven runs in their last four games.

Andy Pettitte (7-7) improved to 3-1 in his last six starts, allowing one run and six hits in seven innings as New York won its third straight and closed within two of Cleveland for the AL wild-card lead.

Wilson Betemit, who was acquired from Los Angeles on Tuesday and arrived in the fourth, made his Yankees debut when he entered the game in the ninth.

"It feels good coming here and seeing all those guys like A-Rod and Jeter, play with those guys," Betemit said. "Unbelievable."

Posada's two-run drive off Danks (7-7) in the second put the Yankees ahead, and Cano led off the fourth with his 10th of the season to extend the lead to 4-1.

After Cano's drive to right field, Andy Phillips reached on an error by third baseman Josh Fields, and Duncan hit a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left field. It was his fourth homer in his last three games in the Bronx.

"I know I'm capable of hitting home runs if I just concentrate on putting together good at-bats," Duncan said, "and I just worry about seeing the ball good."

The sellout crowd cheered wildly and chanted "Shel-ley! Shel-ley!" to try to get Duncan to come out for a curtain call but the rookie stayed in the dugout. Manager Joe Torre took the blame for Duncan acknowledging the crowd after his homer Tuesday night -- when the applause was in anticipation of Rodriguez going for his 500th homer.

"I thought the fourth inning was a little early," Torre said. "But last night I had to apologize to him because I said 'Go ahead, get out there,' because I was pretty oblivious to Alex being the next hitter."

Posada connected again in the eighth for his first multihomer game this season and the 14th of his career. Charlie Haeger then hit Cano with a pitch and was immediately ejected by plate umpire Tom Hallion.

"I can't even describe what a bad call that is," said Haeger, who was sent down to Triple-A Charlotte after the game.

Guillen, who was thrown out in the first inning Tuesday night, came out to talk to Hallion but returned to the dugout after a short argument.

"You've got to have a little bit of common sense about what is happening out there," Guillen said during a colorful postgame complaint about the call. "I never saw anybody try to hit somebody with a knuckleball."

Danks gave up six runs and six hits in four innings for the White Sox, who used seven pitchers.

Game notes
The White Sox will activate pitcher Mike MacDougal (right shoulder inflammation) from the disabled list before Thursday's game. ... Rodriguez also had an 0-for-21 stretch from June 10-18, 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Chicago has decided to skip Jose Contreras' turn in the rotation and start Gavin Floyd against Detroit on Sunday. Contreras allowed seven runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings against the Yankees on Tuesday night, and has lost his last seven starts. ... The Yankees activated RHP Jeff Karstens from the DL list and optioned INF Chris Basak to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.