Jeter, Matsui power Yankees to 10-8 win over Jays

[July 06, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Derek Jeter had four hits including the a go-ahead two-run homer, Hideki Matsui homered and drove in four runs, and the New York Yankees rallied from a four-run hole to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 on Sunday.

It was New York's fifth straight win over the Blue Jays, whose five-run fourth inning gave them an 8-4 lead that never appeared safe on a day in which balls were again flying out of Yankee Stadium. There were four homers hit -- all of them to right field -- to raise the total to 139 at the new ballpark midway through the season.

Jonathan Albaladejo (3-1), recalled after Chien-Ming Wang went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, got the win in relief -- even though Alfredo Aceves deserves most of the credit.

He allowed only one hit while working the last four innings for his first save. Manager Joe Girardi elected to let just about the only one who could get anybody out finish the game, rather than turn to Mariano Rivera, who had pitched the past two days.

Jorge Posada had four hits and drove in three runs, including one during the Yankees' decisive three-run fifth inning. Every player wearing pinstripes reached base at least once, with Mark Teixeira walking three times.

The Yankees simply out-slugged the Blue Jays, who did plenty of slugging themselves.

Aaron Hill homered and drove in three runs, and Marco Scutaro and Adam Lind each had a pair of RBIs as the Blue Jays pounded out a dozen hits.

The Yankees opened a 4-0 lead after the first two innings before Toronto scored three times in the third and put together its big fourth. Marco Scutaro's two-run single gave the Blue Jays a 6-4 lead, and Hill belted his 20th homer of the season off Joba Chamberlain two pitches later.

Chamberlain was lifted after Lind singled, getting a sarcastic round of applause on his way out, and Scott Rolen extended his major league-leading hitting streak to 22 games before the Yankees finally got out of the inning.

They didn't waste any time starting their comeback.

Teixeira walked and Posada singled before Matsui hit his 13th homer of the season, slicing the lead to 8-7 and in the process becoming just the second Japanese-born player after Ichiro Suzuki to score 500 career runs.

New York pushed ahead for good in the fifth, on Jeter's homer off B.J. Ryan (1-1) that prompted chants of "Derek Jeter!" for several minutes. Johnny Damon walked moments later, and Posada's RBI double to right field gave the Yankees bullpen an extra cushion it wouldn't need.

It was another rotten outing in the Yankees' new $1.5 billion ballpark for Chamberlain, who must be beginning to wish they'd play the games he starts in the old place next door. He's yet to win in nine tries at home this season, and needed 86 pitches just to make it 3 2-3 innings.

The eight runs he allowed was a career high, although only three were earned, and the nine hits matched a career high.

Not that his counterparts in black and blue fared much better.

Toronto starter Brett Cecil, filling in for Scott Richmond, was battered for seven earned runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. He also gave up five of the Blue Jays' eight walks.

NOTES: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez got the day off. ... Blue Jays OF Vernon Wells batted sixth for the third straight game. Before that, he hadn't batted sixth or lower since June 3, 2005.

[Associated Press; By DAVE SKRETTA]

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