Jeter Hitless, But Yanks Take Doubleheader

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter in Baltimore, and a 1935 season photo showing Yankees Lou Gehrig. In the next week or so, Jeter should pass Gehrig for the most hits in team history. Showing his mettle at 35, Jeter needed only nine to top the Iron Horse's total of 2,721 going into Thursday night's, Sept. 3, 2009, game at Toronto. (AP Photo/File)

Derek Jeter got a standing ovation — when he came on the field for his pregame wind sprints at the start of a very long day. He didn’t give fans more to cheer about, failing to gain ground on Lou Gehrig.

Jeter went 0 for 8 with a walk and remained three hits behind the Iron Horse as the New York Yankees swept a day-night doubleheader from the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 and 11-1 Monday.

“I’m sure he wants to get this behind him so he doesn’t have to talk about it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

After a sparkling pitcher’s duel between CC Sabathia and Matt Garza in the opener, Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth inning. Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer in an eight-run third that broke open the second game and added a solo shot, boosting A.J. Burnett (11-8) to his first win since July 27.

New York had 24 hits, but none by Jeter on a day that ended with a spring-training-like slew of late-innings substitutes.

Applauded ahead of every at-bat, he came out for a pinch runner in the sixth inning of the second game and stayed stuck at 2,718 hits, leaving Gehrig to hold the team record for another day. Jeter had a tying RBI grounder — hustling down the line to avoid a double play. And did surpass another Yankees great — with 2,117 games, he jumped ahead of Yogi Berra for third on the Yankees list behind only Mickey Mantle (2,401) and Gehrig (2,164).

New York (89-50) has won 11 of 14 and is 39 games over .500 for the first time since 2004. The Yankees opened a season-high nine-game AL East lead over second-place Boston and moved 6½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for best record in the AL — and homefield throughout the postseason.

Fading Tampa Bay has lost six straight, its longest skid since dropping seven from July 7-13 last year. Making matters worse, slugger Carlos Pena broke two fingers on his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the first. Because he swung, he didn’t even get to first base.

“I knew when the ball hit me it was going to be bad,” he said. “You don’t take a 95 mph fastball on the finger and live to tell about it — or the finger live to tell about it.”

Pena was to return to Florida and meet with the Rays medical staff before a determination was made whether he needs surgery. The All-Star first baseman leads the AL with 39 homers and finished with 100 RBIs.

“It’s very discouraging,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He was swinging the bat about as well as anyone I’ve seen this season.”

Sabathia matched his season high with 10 strikeouts and allowed one run, three hits and four walks in seven innings. He is 6-0 with 2.31 ERA in eight starts since 6-2 loss at Tampa Bay on July 28.

Garza gave up only an unearned run, five hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out seven. Even though his opponents’ batting average of .233 coming in was the best in the AL, he is 0-2 in eight starts since July 24.

“All I can do is go out there and pitch as well as I can,” he said.

Phil Hughes (6-3) pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera, out since Sept. 1 with a sore left groin, struck out two in finishing the three-hitter for his 39th save in 40 chances.

“It responded real well,” Rivera said. “I’m not worried about it.”

Burnett gave up one run, four hits and three walks in six innings, striking out eight. He had been 0-4 with 6.54 ERA in seven starts since winning at Tampa Bay on July 27.

Lance Cormier (2-2) lost the opener, dropping Tampa Bay’s bullpen to 2-9 since Aug. 6. Andy Sonnanstine (6-9) was pounded for eight runs, eight hits and three walks in 2 2-3 innings of the night game, inflating his ERA to 7.23.

Brett Gardner, activated before the opener, made a sliding, backhand catch on Perez in right-center field in the fifth with a runner on first, saving a run. The speedy center fielder had been on the disabled list since breaking his left thumb on July 25

“It’s a different game if that ball falls,” Girardi said.

NOTES: Nick Swisher was hit on the left elbow by pitch from Jeff Bennett while checking his swing in the sixth inning of the night game. … The doubleheader was caused by a June 5 rainout. While announced attendance for the night makeup was 45,953, the turnstile count was 35,128. … Jorge Posada caught Sabathia for the first time since Aug. 18. … Teixeira has three multihomer games this season, 24 in his career. … New York is 15-0 when tied after seven innings — the longest such streak at the start of a season in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … Tampa Bay is 1-7-7 in doubleheaders.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.