Rodriguez Hits No. 499 to Set Date With History

Yankees 7, Royals 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 25 – When Alex Rodriguez was growing up in Miami, he idolized Dale Murphy, the star of the Atlanta Braves, whose games he could watch on cable. Joe Torre was the Braves' manager in Murphy's prime, and sometimes, when Torre would call for a hit and run, Murphy would smoke the ball over the right-center field fence instead.

Torre compared Rodriguez to Murphy after Wednesday's game, a 7-1 Yankees victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Rodriguez connected for his 499th career home run with a runner breaking from first and a full count in the eighth inning. It was a liner to right center that just kept carrying.

"He came in and I said, 'That's as good a hit-and-run as I could see,'" Torre said. "It's a little reminiscent of Dale Murphy – you tell him to get the guy over, he hits a home run to right-center field. He's stronger than Dale Murphy, but it's the same principle."

reminiscent a. 聯想到(+of)；懷舊的

The victory was the Yankees' 12th in 15 games since the All-Star break and it cut their American League East deficit to six and a half games behind Boston, the closest they have been to first place since May 9.

"We're not looking at personal statistics," Rodriguez said. "We're just trying to scratch a win every time we come to the park. We're not in a celebration mode."

Yet when Rodriguez faces Jorge De La Rosa today, history will be with him. It was a little more than two years ago that Rodriguez connected off De La Rosa, then with Milwaukee, for his 400th career home run. Now he has a chance to hit his 500th off the same pitcher.

"I saw that a few days ago," Rodriguez said. "The game works in funny ways."

The 499th broke open a tight game in which Mike Mussina used a sharper curveball to work five and two-thirds innings for his first victory this month. It came on the 120th pitch thrown by Gil Meche, who was tiring and left a cutter where Rodriguez could bash it.

bash v. 痛擊

"Joe released the runner on a 3-2 count, so it was the perfect situation for me to keep my shoulder in and try to hit a ball hard and low to the opposite field," Rodriguez said, adding later, "Seeing him the third time, the advantage should go to the hitter, and I was fortunate to do that."

The homer made Rodriguez the first hitter in history with 10 consecutive seasons of 35 home runs, and it turned a two-run lead into a four-run lead. Meche left the game for reliever Jimmy Gobble, and Hideki Matsui greeted him with his 10th home run in July.

Rodriguez, who turns 32 on Friday, could become the first player to hit 500 homers before turning 32. The youngest player to do it was Jimmie Foxx, who was 32 years, 338 days old when he reached the mark in 1940. Rodriguez struck out in his first chance at 500, in the ninth inning Wednesday against Octavio Dotel.

"Never as a kid did I think I would hit one," Rodriguez said. "I was a shortstop. I figured if I hit 100 home runs and got 3,000 hits, that's pretty phenomenal."

phenomenal a. 傑出的，驚人的

The Yankees scored twice in the second when Robinson Cano singled with one out and scored on a homer by Melky Cabrera, who pulled a ball to the grass embankment beside the fountains in right center.

embankment n. 堤岸
fountain n. 噴泉；噴水地；(知識等)泉源(+of)

Cabrera drove in another run in the seventh inning, when his sacrifice fly scored Jorge Posada to make it 3-1.

Cabrera's playing time could be cut soon with Jason Giambi scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment for Class A Tampa on Friday. Giambi, who has missed almost two months with plantar fasciitis, told the Associated Press he wants to re-join the Yankees next week.

plantar n. 腳底的
fasciitis n. 筋膜炎

"I don't think so, but I'm pleased he feels that way," Torre said. "I know he's saying he's better, but I don't know how well he's really tested the foot. Next week seems a little ambitious, but you certainly don't discount the ability of Jason Giambi."

Giambi's return could disrupt the rhythm of the lineup by forcing Cabrera or Johnny Damon to the bench more often. Damon, who is getting comfortable in the outfield again now that he is injury-free, said he hoped that would not happen.

"We'll let Joe decide what he's going to do," Damon said. "I plan to be playing."

The Yankees faded in the playoffs last fall after Cabrera took a reduced role with the return of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield from injuries. Torre said he had not decided how to use Giambi but did not sound concerned.

"If it becomes a tough decision," Torre said, "that means you have a number of people you can use."

Like Torre, General Manager Brian Cashman would not declare Giambi nearly ready. Cashman returned to New York after a day of meetings in Tampa, Fla., satisfied with the direction of the team prior to Tuesday's trading deadline.

"It was just a chance for me to convey in person where I'm at," Cashman said. "I'm executing the same plan I've been executing for quite a white. But, obviously, now I'm pleased our team is playing more to its capability."

Executing his plan means holding onto the top pitching prospects Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Alan Horne, who are all off-limits in trade talks.

The Yankees could add a reliever or a right-handed bat, but some relievers thought to be on the market are not available at the moment, including Houston's Brad Lidge, Tampa Bay's Al Reyes and Cincinnati's David Weathers.

Some available relievers include Chad Qualls or Dan Wheeler of Houston, Damaso Marte of Pittsburgh, Eric Gagne of Texas and Dotel. But for now, at least, none of those seem to be probable fits for the Yankees.

"It's quiet," Cashman said. "If we do something, it probably will be smaller in nature, if anything. We'll see. Until Tuesday, I guess anything's possible."