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Seven-run first fuels Orioles past Yankees

May 21, 2008 - 3:18 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) - The New York Yankees struggled without Alex Rodriguez - and things were not much better with him on Tuesday.

The reigning American League Most Valuable Player homered in his return to lineup, but the Yankees fell behind early and lost captain Derek Jeter to a hand injury in a 12-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

"That's not the way you draw it up," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "It's an ugly loss. You've just got to put this one aside. Every team goes through a couple of these every year. I hope it's our last one."

Mike Mussina (6-4) equaled the shortest start of his career as he recorded just two outs and was charged with seven runs - one earned - and five hits. It matched his shortest start which occurred on July 13, 1995 against Kansas City in Baltimore.

"I didn't look comfortable," Mussina said. "I didn't feel comfortable. I wasn't out there long. I didn't do anything right for the 30-something pitches I threw. It was just bad. We were out of it in 15 minutes."

Mussina's first loss in six starts and the huge deficit appeared to be the only problem for New York, which has dropped nine of 12. That was until the bottom of the third when Jeter was hit on the left hand by a Daniel Cabrera fastball.

Jeter, who missed six games last month with a left quad injury, was diagnosed with a contusion in his left hand.

"It wasn't a good game," Jeter said. "That's the bottom line. You hope this is as bad as it gets."

Before getting injured, a throwing error by Jeter also helped Baltimore score seven runs in the first. The Orioles already had a 1-0 lead and two on when Jeter fielded Luke Scott's grounder but his high throw to first base took Jason Giambi off the bag.

"It shouldn't (unravel)," Girardi said of the first inning. "Obviously 'Moose' is trying to make pitches and he's trying to get out of that inning. With the 'Moose', it just wasn't his night tonight."

Instead of the third out, the Orioles equaled their biggest inning of the season as Ramon Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk. Baltimore then got a three-run double from Adam Jones and an RBI triple from Brian Roberts that ended Mussina's night.

Rodriguez appeared in his first game since April 28 when he injured his right quad. He hit a two-run home run in the sixth when the game was well out of hand.

If the huge deficit and Jeter's injury weren't enough, the teams nearly engaged in a benches-clearing brawl with two outs in the sixth when LaTroy Hawkins threw two straight pitches high and inside near Scott's head. The second pitch led to Hawkins' ejection by plate umpire Chuck Meriwether.

"Jeter got hit, nobody else got hit," Hawkins said. "I'm not that type of person. The way it looked, he had a reason to be (upset)."

Both benches and bullpens emptied, but there were no punches thrown or other ejections. There also was no retaliation by Baltimore.

"We don't do that," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "There was no reason for us to do a thing. There was no reason for us to retaliate. It goes against my idea of playing the game with respect."

Jones set career highs with four hits and four RBI while Kevin Millar and Scott homered for Baltimore, which has won eight of its last 10. The Orioles also scored a season-high 12 runs and beat the Yankees for the third time in four meetings this season.

Cabrera (5-1) benefited from the support and won his third straight start. He pitched seven innings and allowed Rodriguez's home run among five hits.

"I just go with my stuff, try to throw strikes and get people out early in the count," said Cabrera, who struck out four and did not issue a walk for the third time this season. "It's good when you have a lot of run support. It's always good."