Rodriguez hits two home runs as Yankees crush Twins

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A resurgent Alex Rodriguez hit two
home runs and drove in three runs as the New York Yankees
thumped the Minnesota Twins 8-1 on Friday.

Rodriguez snapped out of a slump with a home run on
Thursday and earned standing ovations from the often critical
New York fans on Friday as the Yankees won their 80th game of
the season.

New York leads the American League East by eight games over
the Boston Red Sox, who edged the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 at
Fenway Park. The Twins remain a half-game behind the Chicago
White Sox for the AL wild card lead.

Rodriguez, who was mired in a 1-for-24 slump until getting
two hits on Thursday, is now five-for-eight in his last two
games, adding a bases-loaded single to his two solo homers.

He got the Yankees started with a solo homer in the second
and Bobby Abreu’s RBI single in the third gave starter Cory
Lidle all the runs he would need.

Lidle (3-2) pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two
hits, striking out four and walking two.

FALLING ANGELS

The Yankees had 14 hits off three Twins pitchers, with
Abreu and Derek Jeter joining Rodriguez with three hits. Jeter
also scored twice and lifted his average to .342 on the season.

Melky Cabrera added a pair of hits and drove in a run.

Carlos Silva (8-13) gave up six runs — four earned — on
nine hits over four innings in taking the loss.

Justin Morneau had a pair of hits and drove in the lone
Minnesota run with a ninth-inning double.

In Detroit, Kenny Rogers and two relievers combined on a
five-hitter as the Tigers increased their lead in the AL
Central with a 9-0 rout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Rogers (15-6) allowed just four hits over seven innings,
striking out two and walking two. It was Detroit’s Major League
leading 15th shutout of the season.

The Tigers moved 5 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox
and six ahead of the Twins in the division.

Craig Monroe, Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge all homered
for the Tigers, while Dmitri Young had three hits and drove in
a run.

Ervin Santana (13-7) allowed five runs on seven hits over
four innings to take the loss, striking out seven.

Juan Rivera had two hits for the Angels, who are falling
out of contention for the AL wild card.

(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto)