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Royals-Yankees Preview

Jul 23, 2010 - 6:09 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (41-54) at New York (60-34), 7:05 p.m. EDT

All eyes will be on Alex Rodriguez as he attempts to become the seventh player to reach the 600-homer milestone Friday night against the Kansas City Royals.

When the New York Yankees take the field, the focus will be on A.J. Burnett and any lingering effects he may have after cutting his hands during an angry fit in the clubhouse during his last start.

Rodriguez hit his 599th home run as New York beat Kansas City 10-4 on Thursday night for its 12th victory in 15 games.

The three-time AL MVP, who turns 35 on Tuesday, is trying to become the youngest player in major league history to reach 600. Babe Ruth, currently the youngest to reach the milestone, accomplished it at age 36.

"I'm having fun," Rodriguez said. "I'm going to hit it."

Rodriguez became the youngest to reach the 500-homer mark with a three-run shot against the Royals on Aug. 4, 2007. He went 10 days between Nos. 499 and 500.

The 13-time All-Star has batted .426 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs in his last 18 games against the Royals (41-54). He is 4 for 7 with three homers against scheduled starter Brian Bannister.

While Rodriquez is poised to make history, Burnett (7-8, 4.99 ERA) is ready to move on from an incident that cut his last outing short.

After falling behind Tampa Bay 3-0 after two innings Saturday, Burnett marched into New York's clubhouse and slammed open a set of double doors, slicing both hands on the plastic lineup-card holders pasted to the entry.

Burnett convinced the Yankees (60-34) he was OK to pitch the third but was promptly removed after hitting a batter, throwing a wild pitch and allowing a run-scoring single before recording an out. He allowed four runs and four hits while hitting two batters in his shortest outing in two seasons with New York, which lost 10-5.

"I'm not happy that he did it, but the fact is, me not carrying anger over, it's not going to change what happened. It's my job to make sure it doesn't happen again," manager Joe Girardi said. "I had my talk with A.J. I did that, but I got to move on, too. He has to move on."

Burnett, who apologized to his teammates Sunday, has talked about keeping his frustrations in check and said he's "100 percent" certain it wouldn't happen again. The right-hander, 1-6 with an 8.15 ERA in his last eight starts, said the locations of the cuts do not affect how he grips the ball.

Burnett is 2-1 with a 1.95 ERA in his last four starts against Kansas City.

The Royals, losers of eight of 10, will be without center fielder David DeJesus for at least the next two weeks after he sprained his right thumb on the padding of the outfield fence while trying to field Derek Jeter's deep drive in the third inning Thursday. Jeter motored home for the second inside-the-park homer of his career.

Bannister (7-8, 5.65) has had little luck against the Yankees, going 1-2 with a 15.07 ERA in four starts. The right-hander was roughed up for 10 runs and 10 hits - three homers - in one-plus inning of a 15-6 loss in his last outing versus New York on Aug. 17, 2008.

Bannister gave up five runs and six hits while walking a season-worst six in 6 1-3 innings of a 9-6 loss to Oakland on Sunday. He has allowed five runs in each of his last two starts and is 1-5 with a 7.93 ERA in his past seven.