A-Rod injured, but Pettitte shines as Yanks rout Orioles 7-1

[April 21, 2008]  BALTIMORE (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI double and scored before leaving with a leg injury, and the New York Yankees ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on a rainy Sunday.

Andy Pettitte pitched seven scoreless innings, Johnny Damon homered and Derek Jeter had a three-run double as the Yankees avoided their first three-game sweep in Baltimore since 2005. New York dodged its first four-game skid since last July.

Rodriguez strained his right quadriceps while running out a grounder in the sixth inning. The All-Star third baseman was listed as day-to-day, and he will have an extra day to recover because the Yankees are off Monday.

Earlier, Rodriguez provided Pettitte with all the offense he needed to win his third straight start.

Pettitte (3-1) was the ideal pitcher for a Yankees team that needed a win to get back to .500. The left-hander retired the first 14 batters and ended up yielding only four hits in improving to 23-6 lifetime against Baltimore, including 14-4 at Camden Yards. He struck out five and walked none.

Joba Chamberlain gave up a run in the eighth, only the second earned run he's allowed in 30 1-3 career innings.

The Yankees were 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position during the series before breaking the trend in the fourth inning against Steve Trachsel (1-3). Bobby Abreu walked and stole second before Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui hit successive doubles for a 2-0 lead.

After slumping Jason Giambi bounced into a double play with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth, Damon connected with a man on in the seventh against Chad Bradford -- only the second home run off the submariner in a 138-game span.

The Orioles' first baserunner was Jay Payton, who reached with two outs in the fifth on a broken-bat dribbler down the third-base line that was too slow to even warrant a throw from Rodriguez. Adam Jones followed with a single up the middle, but Pettitte retired Guillermo Quiroz on a fly to center.

Brian Roberts reached third with one in the sixth but was stranded, and Kevin Millar was left on after hitting a leadoff double in the seventh.

Chamberlain gave up two hits without getting an out before rain stopped the game for 37 minutes. When play was resumed, Roberts hit a sacrifice fly off Brian Bruney to make it 4-1.

Jeter's third extra-base hit of the year, off George Sherrill in the ninth, came before a second rain delay of 37 minutes.

Notes: Pettitte struck out Nick Markakis three times. ... Jones made three outstanding catches in center, including a diving stab of a liner by Jeter in the seventh. ... Giambi went 0-for-3 with a walk and is 5-for-46 (.109) this season.

[Associated Press; By DAVID GINSBURG]

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