AL: A-Rod's 3-homer, 10-RBI assault buries Angels

NEW YORK - Alex Rodriguez's teammates made him wait until the fans worked themselves into a frenzy worthy of a three-homer night. They clapped to the music and chanted "A-Rod! A-Rod!" until he finally stepped onto the top step of the dugout and raised both hands over his head.

Rodriguez's biggest night with the Yankees was over a year in the making, and everybody at Yankee Stadium was in a celebratory mood.

Rodriguez homered in his first three at-bats and became the 11th major-leaguer with 10 or more RBIs in a game, leading New York over the Los Angeles Angels 12-4 Tuesday night.

"Definitely tonight was one of those magical nights," Rodriguez said. "I've hit three home runs twice before, but nothing feels as special as this, doing it in New York, doing it in the pinstripes."

The marquee matchup might have been across town at Shea Stadium, where the Mets' Pedro Martinez lost to Atlanta's John Smoltz, but it was A-Rod who put on the biggest show in New York.

His home runs all came with two outs off Bartolo Colon in the first four innings and drew rousing ovations from the fans, who have been reluctant to embrace the All-Star since he was acquired before the 2004 season.

"He hasn't lived up to what he's capable of doing," manager Joe Torre said. "I think this is why it takes time. When he does something like this, he wants to duplicate it. Sometimes he expects too much of himself."

He added a run-scoring single in the sixth off Kevin Gregg and finished one RBI shy of the league record of 11 set by the Yankees' Tony Lazzeri in 1936. The major-league record of 12 is shared by Cardinals Jim Bottomley (1924) and Mark Whiten (1993).

Nomar Garciaparra had been the last player with 10 RBIs in a game, accomplishing the feat for Boston against Seattle in 1999.

"Right after I hit that last base hit up the middle, it felt like I was in the clouds; you just don't want it to end," said Rodriguez, the first player to have 10 RBIs in a game at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez hit the 11th grand slam of his career in the fourth inning after hitting a three-run shot in the first and a two-run homer in the third. Going in, he had been 2-for-13 (.154) with runners in scoring position and two outs.

His homer in the first, which followed two walks, landed over the 399-foot marker in left-center. When his long fly in the third landed in the Angels bullpen in leftfield, the crowd of 36,328 stood and cheered until Rodriguez appeared out of the dugout one pitch into the next at-bat.

The fans stood throughout his at-bat in the fourth and camera strobes flashed. Torre said "everybody in the dugout became a fan."

Rodriguez worked the count to 3-and-2 and fouled off several pitches before hitting a drive off the front of the centerfield bleachers, just beyond the 408-foot sign.

ATHLETICS 9, WHITE SOX 7: Jermaine Dye dropped a routine flyball by Marco Scutaro in right field for a two-base error in the eighth, then pinch-hitter Erubiel Durazo singled home Scutaro for the go-ahead run two batters later. The loss ended visiting Chicago's eight-game winning streak.

ORIOLES 11, RED SOX 8: Miguel Tejada hit a two-run homer in the eighth, his fourth hit of the game, as visiting Baltimore rallied from a five-run deficit. The Orioles have won five straight and are seven games over .500 for the first time since 1998. They had not been in first place in the East this late in the season since 1997.

TWINS 2, ROYALS 1: Johan Santana won his 17th consecutive decision for visiting Minnesota, moving within three of Roger Clemens' league record. Santana allowed one run and five hits in eight innings, struck out eight and walked one. The Cy Young Award winner has not lost in 20 starts since a 2-0 defeat against Detroit on July 11.

MARINERS 7, RANGERS 4: Joel Pineiro allowed four homers but little else to lift visiting Seattle.

TIGERS AT INDIANS, PPD.: Detroit was disrupted by weather for the third time in four days when its game against Cleveland was rained out after a 55-minute wait.

[Last modified April 27, 2005, 01:36:02]