NEW YORK — Brian Matusz won his
fourth straight start and Brian Roberts hit a go-ahead single in the
seventh inning off struggling A.J. Burnett, leading the Baltimore
Orioles to a rare 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Monday.
Alex Rodriguez homered and drove in
two runs to reach 100 RBIs for the 13th straight season and record 14th
time overall. He surpassed Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx, who
each reached 100 RBIs 13 times.
New York lost its second in a row
following a season-high, eight-game winning streak. Baltimore had been
0-6 at Yankee Stadium this year and had lost 17-of-19 games in the Bronx
coming in, but the AL-worst Orioles came to New York for the first time
under Buck Showalter and won their third in a row, improving to 20-13
under their new manager.
New York, still a major league-best
86-52, began the day 2 1/2 games in front of second-place Tampa Bay in
the AL East and leads after play on Labor Day for the 41st time,
according to STATS LLC. The Yankees have failed to finish first only
twice in those years, in 1906 and 1944.
Matusz (8-12) allowed three runs and
five hits in six innings, beating the Yankees for the first time in four
decisions against New York this season.
Matt Albers, Jim Johnson and Koji Uehara finished, with Uehara getting his seventh save in seven chances.
Burnett (10-13) lost for the fifth
time in six decisions, giving up four runs, seven hits and four walks in
seven innings. Burnett and CC Sabathia, New York's scheduled starter
Tuesday, entered the series a combined 24-4 against Baltimore.
Josh Bell doubled leading off the
third, with Brett Gardner trying for an outstanding leaping grab in
left-center only to allow the ball to pop free when his glove hit the
field. After Roberts' single, Felix Pie hit into a run-scoring
double-play grounder.
Rodriguez's first homer in 12 at-bats
against Matusz tied the score in the fourth. The drive off the back wall
of the visiting bullpen in left-center gave Rodriguez 22 homers this
season and 605 overall.
Roberts' run-scoring single gave Baltimore a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
New York put runners on second and
third with two outs in the bottom half, and third baseman Josh Bell made
a nice sliding pickup on Jeter's grounder before throwing to first for
the out. Matt Wieters added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Nick Swisher walked leading off the
bottom half, with Matusz going to a 3-0 count for the first time in the
game. Rodriguez's sacrifice fly tied the score, and Robinson Cano hit a
catchable short pop near the left-field line that fell past Pie, the
left fielder, and shortstop Cesar Izturis for a single on the sunny
afternoon. Roberts' two-out RBI single in the seventh put the Orioles
back ahead 4-3.
Albers walked pinch-hitter Lance
Berkman leading off the bottom half. Gardner fouled off two sacrifice
attempts, then struck out, and Wieters threw out pinch-runner Greg
Golson trying to steal second.
Notes
Orioles OF Adam Jones, out of
the starting lineup since aggravating a left shoulder injury Wednesday,
could return Tuesday. … Baltimore had two runners thrown out
stretching and grounded into two double plays. … Swisher started for
the first time since leaving Thursday's game against Oakland because of a
stiff left knee. … Swisher went 0-for-2 against Matusz, dropping to 0
for 14 against him.