Sun Apr 20 18:49:51 2008

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Jeter, Pettitte help Yanks avoid sweep by O's

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Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Andy Pettitte threw seven shutout innings, and Derek Jeter went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in, and the New York Yankees topped Baltimore, 7-1, to avoid a sweep by the Orioles.

Pettitte (3-1) scattered four hits, walked none and struck out five, and helped the Yankees snap a three-game losing streak. Johnny Damon finished 2- for-4 with a two-run homer, and Chad Moeller went 2-for-4 in a game that went through two rain delays.

"I was locating the ball well. I wasn't really feeling all that strong, my legs weren't feeling as strong as my last two starts, but sometimes that helps you," Pettitte said. "I didn't have the velocity that I normally have, but the four-seamer was cutting real good and I was able to jam a lot of the righties and I was locating the ball away, too."

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with an RBI double before leaving in the sixth inning with a strained right quadriceps. He is listed as day-to-day.

Baltimore starter Steve Trachsel (1-3) threw 6 1/3 solid innings, giving up just three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks, but was tagged with the loss.

Jay Payton went 2-for-4, while Brian Roberts drove in the lone run for the Orioles, who had a three-game win streak stopped.

"We won two out of three games. We got some big hits from several players in the lineup," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "Our starting pitchers got us deep in the game all three times and we spread our hits around in the lineup."

Trachsel got out of some trouble early, stranding Jeter after the Yankees' shortstop hit a one-out double. In the second, center fielder Adam Jones made two nice catches on deep line drives to center.

But in the fourth, the Yankees got to the Orioles starter. Bobby Abreu worked a one-out walk, then took second for his first stolen base of the season. Rodriguez then laced a double to left to plate Abreu.

Hideki Matsui followed with a double of his own as Rodriguez came around to score, boosting New York's lead to 2-0.

Rodriguez, however, left the game in the sixth inning. After hitting into a fielder's choice that left him on first base, the third baseman kept stretching his right quadriceps. Eventually manager Joe Girardi and a team trainer came out for an examination, and Rodriguez came out, replaced by Morgan Ensberg.

"It's a little sore and tight," Rodriguez said. "I felt it four or five steps out of the box. I haven't had an injury like this in a long time. I'll see how it goes."

Trachsel held the Yankees in check until the top of the seventh, after he got Melky Cabrera to ground out to lead off the inning. Moeller doubled to deep left field -- just several feet short of a homer -- and Trachsel was taken out in favor of side-arming Chad Bradford.

Damon, though, crushed Bradford's second pitch over the fence in right-center for a 4-0 Yankees lead.

Baltimore got one run back in the bottom of the eighth inning, which was interrupted by a 37-minute rain delay. Guillermo Quiroz doubled off Joba Chamberlain to lead off the frame, and Roberts later hit a sacrifice fly off Brian Bruney to bring the Orioles within 4-1.

But in the top of the ninth, New York put the game away. After Cabrera walked, Moeller singled, and Damon walked, Jeter stroked his second double of the game to right to clear the bases.

The Yankees held the 7-1 lead through another rain delay in the middle of the ninth, and Mariano Rivera tossed a scoreless ninth to end the game.

Game Notes

A report on the Yankees' Web site Sunday said Girardi expects catcher Jorge Posada to resume catching at some point this week. Posada has been limited by a shoulder strain that occurred earlier this season...Baltimore starts a three-game series in Seattle on Tuesday...New York next travels to Chicago for a three-game set with the White Sox starting Tuesday.