A-Rod hammers Angels with 3 HRs

NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs in his first three at-bats and became the 12th major league player with 10 or more runs batted in during a game, leading the New York Yankees over the Los Angeles Angels 12-4 Tuesday night.

Each of Rodriguez’s homers came with two outs against Bartolo Colon (3-2) during the first four innings and drew rousing ovations from the Yankees’ fans, who have been reluctant to embrace the $252 million star since he was acquired before the 2004 season.

“Definitely tonight was one of those magical nights,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve hit three home runs twice before, but nothing feels as special as this, doing it in New York, doing it in the pinstripes.”

He added a run-scoring single in the sixth off Kevin Gregg and finished one RBI shy of the American League record of 11 set by the Yankees’ Tony Lazzeri in 1936. The major league record of 12 is shared by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Jim Bottomley (1924) and Mark Whiten (1993).

Nomar Garciaparra had been the last player with 10 RBIs in a game, accomplishing the feat for Boston against Seattle on May 10, 1999.

Rodriguez hit the 11th grand slam of his career in the fourth after hitting a three-run shot in the first and a two-run homer in the third.

His homer in the first, which followed two walks, landed over the 399-foot marker in left-center. When his long fly in the third landed in the Angels’ bullpen in left, the crowd of 36,328 stood and cheered until Rodriguez appeared out of the dugout one pitch into the next at-bat.

The fans stood throughout his at-bat in the fourth. After his drive on a 3-2 pitch hit off the front of the center-field bleachers, just beyond the 408-foot sign, they clapped along to the music and chanted “A-Rod!” until he made his second curtain call several minutes later.