• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Yankees hand ball to Garcia in Baltimore

Apr 24, 2011 - 3:35 PM (Sports Network) - Freddy Garcia threw shutout baseball in his last start. The New York Yankees are hoping the veteran right-hander is just as sharp this afternoon when they wrap up a rain-shortened two-game series with the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Garcia allowed two hits over six shutout innings in a win against the Rangers on April 16. That was his only start of the year, but he's been pressed into action with Phil Hughes on the disabled list.

Coming off a six-inning shutout effort on Tuesday against the Twins, Jake Arrieta will again be on the hill this afternoon for the Orioles. The 25-year- old right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA in three lifetime starts against the Yankees.

New York blistered Baltimore, 15-3, last night behind an incredible performance from Alex Rodriguez. The superstar third baseman belted a grand slam to cap a seven-run eighth inning, as New York hit five home runs, on the way to a 15-3 rout.

Coming into the game, the Yankees led the majors with 30 home runs and were tops in baseball with 10 multi-homer outings this season. Saturday's burst of longballs set a new franchise record for home runs in the first 17 games of a season with 35. The old mark was 33 in 2003.

Rodriguez also moved ahead of Carl Yastrzemski into 10th on the all-time list with 1,847 RBI after a 2-for-5, six-RBI effort for the Yankees, who have won four of five. He has 22 career grand slams, moving past Manny Ramirez into second all-time, behind only Lou Gehrig (23).

"It's exciting, I definitely appreciate the moment," Rodriguez said. "I think I've grown and matured to a level where I can appreciate it some and not just brush it off like I would in the past perhaps."

Russell Martin went deep twice and drove in four, while Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner added a two-run shots each. Robinson Cano, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, has a 12-game overall hitting streak. He has hit safely in 15 straight against Baltimore since June 1 last year, at a .459 (28- for-61) clip with 13 RBI.

The power display obscured CC Sabathia's (1-1) first win of 2011, where the left-hander allowed six hits and three runs with seven strikeouts over eight innings.

Adam Jones hit a three-run homer and Derrek Lee added two hits and scored a run for the Orioles, who have lost 10 of their last 12.

Brad Bergesen (0-3) was dented for six runs on eight hits over six full frames in defeat.

The Yankees have won 27 of the last 34 meetings.