Game 143 notes: Yankees win 6-3

Alex Rodriguez hit yet another home run and Chien-Ming Wang got yet another win as the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals by a score of 6-3 Sunday afternoon to finish off the sweep.

Rodriguez's home run was his 52nd of the season. Wang received his 18th victory of the season in his seven-inning, three-run effort.

Jorge Posada drove in two runs on a double to give the Yankees the lead back after Kansas City tied the game at three.

Kyle Farnsworth pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and struck out two batters. Mariano Rivera closed the door in the ninth for his 25th save of the season.

Some notes from the game:

• Rodriguez has 140 RBIs. His career high in a season is 142. This is the most RBIs by a Yankee since Tino Martinez drove in 141 in 1997. Rodriguez also has seven home runs in his last five games.
  
• Wang won 19 games last year. He is one win away from matching that this season. He missed almost a month this season due to injury, by the way. His ERA now stands at 3.69.
• Rivera seems to have settled down after a rough stretch in August. He has now converted five straight saves.
• John Bale struck out seven Yankees in 3 2-3 innings of relief. He only gave up two hits and one earned run.

The Yankees are 81-62 after this victory. They have won five straight games and nine of their last 12.

With Seattle beating Detroit this afternoon, the Yankees have a four-game lead of Detroit in the Wild Card. They also lead Seattle by five games.

The Yankees begin a three-game series in Toronto on Tuesday.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)