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Royals-Yankees Preview

Jul 24, 2010 - 10:56 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Kansas City (41-55) at New York (61-34), 1:05 p.m. EDT

Three years ago, Alex Rodriguez went eight games between home runs No. 499 and 500.

New York Yankees fans are hoping the wait for No. 600 ends Sunday.

Playing his final home game this month, Rodriguez will try again to become the youngest player to reach that milestone when the Yankees conclude a series against the Kansas City Royals.

Rodriguez hit his 599th home run in a 10-4 win Thursday to open the four-game set but has produced three singles since then, including one that didn't leave the infield in Saturday's 7-4 loss.

"Everyone wants it so badly here at home," he said. "But I have to stay within myself, hit it the other way, try to stay comfortable."

This time, Rodriguez will face Sean O'Sullivan (1-0, 2.08 ERA), who beat New York in his previous start Tuesday. The right-hander then wore a Los Angeles Angels uniform but was traded Thursday as part of a three-player deal for third baseman Alberto Callaspo.

O'Sullivan will be the first pitcher to make consecutive starts for different teams against the same opponent since Carl Pavano beat Detroit with Cleveland on Aug. 2 and Minnesota on Aug. 8.

Rodriguez doubled off O'Sullivan but it was among only two hits the right-hander allowed over six innings of a 10-2 victory. Nick Swisher had a two-run homer in the first inning.

"After that first inning I kind of realized, 'Hey you, it's just baseball. Just go out and pitch and do what you do: get ahead of guys, change speeds and try not to do to much,"' O'Sullivan said. "In the first inning, I was thinking, 'Don't look up. Just try to take the great stadium part out of it.'"

Rodriguez, who turns 35 Tuesday, is trying to become the seventh player to hit 600 home runs and youngest since Babe Ruth reached that milestone at 36. If the three-time AL MVP can't accomplish the feat Sunday, he'll try to do so on the road, where New York (61-35) plays seven straight against Cleveland and Tampa Bay before returning Aug. 2.

In his second straight matchup opposite O'Sullivan, Phil Hughes (11-3, 3.90) will try to end a nine-game homestand by breaking out of a recent rough stretch. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.85 ERA in his last four starts and was tagged for six runs over five innings Tuesday.

Hughes is 0-1 with a 10.57 ERA in two career starts against the Royals as he tries to help his team to its 14th win in 18 games.

Jorge Posada will be looking to extend a streak by driving in a run in his ninth straight game. The Yankees catcher has 10 RBIs and is batting .357 over that span.

Mark Teixeira, who homered twice Saturday, will also attempt to reach base in a career-high 41st straight game, but the statuses of Brett Gardner and Swisher are unknown.

Gardner made a quick trip to the hospital Saturday after a flare-up of chronic acid reflux. Swisher has been out of the starting lineup the past two games with a sore left Achilles tendon but flew out as a pinch-hitter.

Kansas City's Scott Podsednik will try to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and has batted .362 (17 for 47) during his run.

The Royals have dropped nine of their last 12.