SB Nation New York - Rodriguez Delivers As Yankees Beat Dodgers, 2-1https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2010-06-26T08:17:49-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13013962010-06-26T08:17:49-04:002010-06-26T08:17:49-04:00Sabathia Wins Fifth Straight Start
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<p>Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Alex Rodriguez hit the eventual game- winning homer in the sixth inning to back CC Sabathia’s solid pitching performance, as the New York Yankees snuck past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game series between these two storied franchises.</p>
<p>Sabathia (9-3) gave up one run on four hits in eight innings to win his fifth straight start for the Yankees, who have won three in a row and five of six overall. The 2007 AL Cy Young Award recipient also fanned seven batters and walked three. The durable left-hander has worked at least seven innings in every start during his winning streak.</p>
<p>“I’m just trying to put together solid outings. It just feels good to help your team win,” Sabathia said.</p>
<p>The story of the night was Los Angeles manager Joe Torre facing New York for the first time as a player or manager since 2007. Torre led the Yankees to four World Series titles and six American League pennants in each of his 12 seasons as manager from 1996-2007. The relationship between Torre and the Yankees didn’t end well, however, with the two-time AL Manager of the Year rejecting the team’s offer of a reduced salary following an early exit in the 2007 playoffs. Shortly afterward, the Dodgers signed Torre to a three-year deal to serve as their manager.</p>
<p>“To watch the guys coming out of the other dugout that I’m used to seeing was a little strange for me,” Torre said. “We were going against a pitcher (Sabathia) that was never on my side. We just couldn’t get anything done.”</p>
<p>The Dodgers’ lone offense came from Manny Ramirez, who had two hits and an <span class="caps">RBI</span>.</p>
<p>Vicente Padilla (1-2), making his second start since being activated from a two month-long stint on the disabled list, allowed two runs on six hits in seven full frames to take the hard-luck loss. The right-hander also struck out seven and walked one for Los Angeles, which has dropped 10 of its last 13 contests.</p>
<p>The Dodgers drew first blood in the first inning. Rafael Furcal walked, stole second, advanced to third on Andre Ethier’s groundout, and scored on Ramirez’s single.</p>
<p>New York tied the game in the second. Rodriguez led off with a double and crossed the plate two batters later on Jorge Posada’s base hit.</p>
<p>The Yankees went ahead 2-1 on Rodriguez’s blast to left in the sixth.</p>
<p>Mariano Rivera struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his 17th save of the year.</p>
<p>These two storied franchises have opposed one another 11 times in the World Series, but their only regular-season meetings occurred from June 18-20, 2004 at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles won two of the three tilts…Pau Gasol of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers threw out the ceremonial first pitch…The Yankees are 40-5 this season when holding their opponent to four-or-fewer runs…The Dodgers recalled pitcher Jon Link from Triple-A Albuquerque and designated pitcher Charlie Haeger for assignment…Dodger hitting coach Don Mattingly played his entire 14-year career in pinstripes from 1982-95, winning an American League <span class="caps">MVP</span> Award in 1985 and nine Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at first base.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2010/6/26/1538364/sabathia-wins-fifth-straight-startEd Valentine2010-06-25T16:51:05-04:002010-06-25T16:51:05-04:00Torre The Story Tonight As Yankees Visit Dodgers
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<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">(Sports Network) - The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/NYY" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">New York Yankees</a> have won five world championships in the past 14 seasons. Four of them were led by the man who will be sitting in the opposing dugout when the Bronx Bombers visit Los Angeles for a high- profile three-game interleague series with Joe Torre's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/LOS" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Dodgers</a> that begins tonight.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Torre put together a remarkable 12-year run as the Yankees' skipper from 1996-2007, amassing a 1,173-767 regular-season record and guiding the club to six American League pennants and World Series titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. New York reached the postseason in all 12 years of his tenure.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The relationship between Torre and the Yankees didn't end well, however, with the two-time AL Manager of the Year rejecting the team's offer of a reduced salary following an early exit in the 2007 playoffs. Shortly afterward, the Dodgers signed Torre to a three-year deal to serve as their manager.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"I can't escape it," Torre told the Dodgers' official site of being the center of attention of the series. "Obviously I'll be busy, but it will also be fun to see a lot of people. Long before I was a Yankee, that uniform was something special. I always had that mindset. It meant something to beat the Yankees."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Friday's game will also be the first against the Yankees for Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly, who spent 14 seasons as a player in the pinstripes from 1982-1995 and served on Torre's staff from 2004-07.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">While this series has obvious importance to Torre on a personal level, it's also big for the Dodgers due to the team's struggles in recent weeks. Los Angeles has dropped nine of its last 12 contests and endured a season-high six-game losing streak before breaking out with a 10-6 victory over the area- rival <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/ANA" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Angels</a> on Thursday. The skid has moved the Dodgers from first to third in the National League West, three games behind San Diego for the top spot.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Dodgers had mustered just four runs over their last three defeats of the slide, but scored five times in the fourth inning en route to last night's win. <span>Rafael Furcal</span>, playing his second game since missing a week due to the death of his father, keyed the big frame with a two-run double that snapped a 1-1 tie.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Manny Ramirez</span> added a pair of run-scoring singles later on for the Dodgers, while both <span>Jamey Carroll</span> an<span>Casey Blake</span> collected three hits on the evening.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"Putting the five-spot up in the fourth was big and it was nice that we continued to score," said Torre. "We were aggressive on the basepaths. We had a lot of life [Thursday]."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">While the Dodgers have been slumping, Torre's old team enters Chavez Ravine having won four of its last five tilts and currently owns the best record in baseball at 45-27. The Yankees are 11-5 since June 6 and have opened up a two- game lead on Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL East race.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">New York began this six-game Western trip by taking two of three tests from Arizona, including an extra-inning win in Wednesday's rubber match. <span>Curtis Granderson</span> accounted for the deciding run in the 6-5 triumph after leading off the bottom of the 10th with his seventh homer of the season.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Yankees trailed 5-4 entering the ninth before scratching home a run to tie the score. After <span>Derek Jeter</span> and<span>Nick Swisher</span> drew consecutive walks against Arizona's <span>Aaron Heilman</span>, <span>Mark Teixeira</span> advanced both runners with a ground out before Jeter crossed the plate on <span>Alex Rodriguez</span>'s sacrifice fly.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Rodriguez drove in two runs on the night, while Granderson finished 3-for-5 to help New York to its second straight victory of the series.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Granderson's blast made a winner out of <span>Mariano Rivera</span> (1-1), with the legendary closer holding the<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/ARI" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Diamondbacks</a> scoreless over the final two innings. He ran into some trouble in the bottom of the 10th, though, allowing Arizona to load the bases with none out before retiring the next three batters and keeping the potential tying run at third.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"I've seen him do it because you know he has the ability to strike people out," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Rivera's escape. "You know he can get the job done. He's done it so many times in his career. Mo is unbelievable."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>CC Sabathia</span> was awfully good for the Yankees as well in his last appearance, one the big left-hander will try to duplicate when he takes the mound in the opener. The 2007 AL Cy Young Award recipient yielded just four hits and fanned six in eight scoreless innings during Sunday's 4-0 verdict over the fellow Big Apple-resident <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/NYM" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Mets</a>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">That win was the fourth in a row for Sabathia and improved him to 8-3 with a 3.68 earned run average in 15 starts this season. The durable hurler has worked at least seven innings and allowed three runs or less in each of those four starts.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Sabathia also excelled in his only career matchup with the Dodgers, although it didn't result in a win. The California native held Los Angeles to one run and struck out 10 in a seven-inning no-decision at Dodger Stadium in 2008, while then a member of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/CLE" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Cleveland Indians</a>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Torre will send out <span>Vicente Padilla</span> tonight for the veteran's second start since being activated from a two month-long stint on the disabled list. The right-hander was reached for four runs and gave up a pair of homers to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/BOS" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Red Sox</a> this past Saturday at Fenway Park, and did not get a decision after pitching 5 1/3 innings.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Padilla had been sidelined with an inflamed radial nerve in his throwing arm and went 1-1 with a subpar 6.65 ERA in four starts prior to being shelved.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The 32-year-old has faced the Yankees four times previously, including a 3 2/3-inning stint while with Texas last season in which he was battered for seven runs on seven hits. Padilla is 1-2 with a 7.65 ERA lifetime against New York.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">These two storied franchises have opposed one another 11 times in the World Series, but their only regular-season meetings occurred from June 18-20, 2004 at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles won two of the three tilts.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2010/6/25/2316988/torre-the-story-tonight-as-yankees-visit-dodgersEd Valentine