Game 101 notes: Yankees win 7-1

The Yankees have been playing great baseball since the All-Star break. Wednesday night was no different, as the Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals for the third-straight time by a score of 7-1 to win another four-game series.

Mike Mussina (5-7) started for New York and went 5 2-3 innings. He gave up one run and six hits and struck out four batters in his outing. The Yankees used five relievers to close out the game, including Mariano Rivera who had not pitched since July 21.

The Yankees took the lead in the second inning off of a Melky Cabrera two-run home run. The Royals cut the Yankees lead to 2-1 in the sixth on a Reggie Sanders RBI single. However, that was the only run they would be able to push across tonight.

The Yankees scored five runs in the latter innings to put the game out of reach.

Gil Meche (7-7) started for Kansas City. Through seven innings, he had only given up three runs. However, he seemed to tire and gave up five runs after 7 1-3 innings.

Some notes from the game:

• Alex Rodriguez hit career home run No. 499 off Meche in the eighth inning. Jorge De La Rosa starts for Kansas City tomorrow. Why is that significant? Rodriguez hit home run No. 400 off of him in 2005.
• The Yankees recorded 13 hits. This is the fifth-straight game they have recorded double-digit hits.
• Hideki Matsui homered in the eighth inning. He now has hit 10 home runs in July and has a six-game hitting streak as well.
• Robinson Cano is on the verge of .300. His 3-4 night left him a .299 on the season. He is now 17 for his last 28.
• Every Yankee starter had at least one hit for the fourth time in the last five games.
• Cabrera had three RBIs from the ninth spot in the order tonight.
• Derek Jeter was hit by an Octavio Dotel pitch in the ninth and left the game.
• The Yankees' bullpen gave up two hits in 3 1-3 innings. They also didn't walk a batter.

The Red Sox lost to Cleveland tonight. The Yankees remain 4.5 games behind Cleveland in the Wild Card. The Yankees now trail Boston by 6.5 games in the AL East.

The Yankees have won six-straight games and improve to a season-high eight games over .500 at 54-46.

Kei Igawa will face De La Rosa tomorrow night.

Reuters Photo