MLB

A-ROD’S BIG 4-0

ANAHEIM – The home run milestones change, but Alex Rodriguez‘ reaction to reaching them remains the same.

Monday night he clubbed his 40th homer in a heartbreaking 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Angels in Anaheim. He is the fifth player in history to reach 40 homers in at least eight seasons. Babe Ruth did it 11 times and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Harmon Killebrew each did it eight times.

“I am proud, it’s pretty awesome,” Rodriguez said before crushing Nos. 41 and 42 last night in Anaheim. “It’s pretty humbling.”

Before the road trip, Joe Torre talked of giving Rodriguez “a day off against the Angels.” But after he went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs Monday, Torre left that open.

“My body felt live for the first time in weeks,” said Rodriguez, who explained the right calf injury he suffered when hit by Toronto’s Josh Towers on Aug. 7 hasn’t fully healed. “I haven’t had my legs back in a while. It’s been pretty tender.”

Torre said Rodriguez’ legs “got loggy,” but he was in the lineup last night and likely will play tonight.

“[Monday] he looked revived and played like it,” Torre said. “He wants to play every single game.”

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There is more to the Joba Rules. Torre said last night that in order for the rookie right-hander to be available to work two innings in a game he requires two days off prior to the game. Before that statement, the rules for Joba Chamberlain were believed to be limited to one day off if he went one inning, two days off if he went two and three days of rest if he went three innings. . . . The Yankees’ dugout was swollen with celebrities from all walks of life yesterday. Carson Daly chatted with Derek Jeter, golfer Fred Couples talked with Torre and former big league pitcher Bret Saberhagen yukked it up with everybody. . . . Cory Lidle’s widow, Melanie, was behind the cage during batting practice with her son, Christopher.

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The Yankees continue to instruct Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit at first base even after Betemit saved a run Monday night with a nifty back-handed stab and a perfect throw to the plate. Yesterday afternoon bench coach Don Mattingly held a clinic for the players on the nuances of the position. Mattingly worked a lot on how far a first baseman should range toward second for a ground ball. Duncan later worked in the outfield. . . . Torre needed one victory to pass Casey Stengel into second place on the all-time Yankee list for wins. He started last night with 1,149. . . . Injured Angels starter Bartolo Colon threw a simulated game yesterday afternoon. Colon is out with an irritated right elbow.

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Jason Giambi returned to the lineup last night as the DH after not starting the previous two games. . . . Larry Bowa found it hard to believe Angels pitcher Justin Speier accused him and Yankees first base coach Tony Pena of stealing signs throughout Monday night’s game at Angel Stadium.

When Speier and Bowa crossed paths at the end of the eighth inning in which the right-handed reliever gave up a game-tying, two-run homer to Jorge Posada, the pitcher had words for Bowa.

“He said, ‘You have been stealing signs for the first five innings and [Pena] is doing it later,’ ” Bowa said. “I told him I wasn’t stealing signs, and how could Tony steal a sign with Posada up since he was batting left-handed?”

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Though GM Brian Cashman and Torre have talked about getting Kyle Farnsworth back to working meaningful innings, the right-hander didn’t do much to instill confidence when trusted with pitching in the eighth inning Monday night with the score tied, 6-6. Farnsworth didn’t give up a run, but he needed a sensational play by Betemit and a bad call by third base umpire Dan Iassogna to keep the Angels from scoring.