Yankees 12 – Devil Rays 1

TOKYO – Alex Rodriguez had one hit in nine Yankees at-bats, and if the team hadn’t salvaged a split against the Devil Rays with a 12-1 win Wednesday at Tokyo Dome, A-Rod would be receiving blame for an 0-2 start. That’s the way it goes because A-Rod is no longer in Seattle nor Arlington.

However, the Yankees buried the Devil Rays in the second game of the season, so it was easy to overlook A-Rod’s 0-for-5 that included hitting into a double play and going hitless in two at-bats with runners in scoring position.

“The last two at-bats [in the bat-around seventh] were the best swings he took,” Joe Torre said of A-Rod’s liner to right and fly to deep center that chased Rocco Baldelli to the wall.

A-Rod wasn’t down about packing a .111 (1-for-9) average for the long trip home.

“I will take those two final at-bats with me, no question,” A-Rod said. “I didn’t get any hits but I felt a lot better. I saw the ball a lot better the last three at-bats.”

The middle of the Yankees’ lineup – A-Rod, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield – went 1-for-9 yesterday. Giambi drew three walks and was hit, and Sheffield walked twice.

A-Rod killed a scoring chance in the first, ending the inning by grounding into a 5-4-3 double play. In the third, A-Rod batted with two outs and runners on first and third and grounded to third. He flied out in the fifth after Hideki Matsui thrilled the sold-out crowd with a two-run homer.

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Rodriguez, Matsui, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter represented the Yankees at the American Embassy yesterday.

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A-ROD AT THE PLATE (s, lcf)

(1-for-9, .111)

Game 1

Strikout looking.

Strikeout looking.

Double to right.

Pop out to short

Game 2

DP to 3rd

Ground out to 3rd

Fly out to center

Line out to right

Fly out to center