one run in seven innings to earn his AL-leading 16th victory, Alex
Rodriguez got his 2,500th hit and drove in four runs, and the New York
Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-2 Wednesday night for a
three-game sweep.
Eric Hinske homered and Johnny Damon
had four hits for the Yankees, who used a seven-run ninth inning to
turn a tight game into a rout. New York has won six straight and is
34-11 since the All-Star break.
Rodriguez got his milestone hit in
the fifth inning, a single off Jason Berken, and lined a two-run single
up the middle in the seventh against Kim Mickolio (0-2) to break a 1-1
tie.
After Nolan Reimold hit a solo homer
in the eighth to get Baltimore to within 3-2, Rodriguez singled in two runs on
an 0-2 pitch from Jim Johnson to spark a ninth-inning uprising in which
Damon had two of New York's seven hits.
Sabathia (16-7) struck out nine, gave
up seven hits and walked one. The left-hander is 6-0 in his last seven
starts and has an AL-best eight wins since the All-Star break.
Phil Hughes got the last four outs for his second save.
Sabathia improved to 8-1 lifetime
against Baltimore, 3-1 this year. The Yankees lead the season series
12-3 and have won 10 straight over the Orioles. The only other time New
York won 10 in a row against Baltimore was in 1955.
After a sacrifice fly by Nick
Markakis gave the Orioles a 1-0 first-inning lead, Sabathia worked out
of a jam in the second by striking out Brian Roberts and Cesar Izturis
with the bases loaded. That began a streak in which Sabathia retired
eight straight, five by strikeout.
Hinske tied it in the third with his seventh homer, the second in two games.
An infield hit, a double by Melky
Cabrera and an intentional walk loaded the bases with two outs in the
New York fourth before Jose Molina hit a fly to right.
Notes
New York hit 20 homers at
Camden Yards this season, the most by any visiting team in one year
since the ballpark opened in 1992. … It was the 12th series sweep of
the season for New York, including three against the Orioles. …
Baltimore used a season-high eight pitchers. … New York manager Joe
Girardi rested starters Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada. … Yankees RHP
Sergio Mitre, who hasn't pitched since being hit by a line drive last
Sunday, will start Sunday in Toronto, Girardi said. … Orioles
All-Star CF Adam Jones was on crutches with a severe left ankle sprain
that could end his season. The injury occurred Tuesday night.