Rodriguez hits 400th home run

NOTES

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees became the youngest player to reach 400 homers when he hit his second of the game Wednesday night at Milwaukee.

Rodriguez’s two-run shot off left-hander Chris Capuano in the first inning gave him 399, and his solo shot off left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the eighth made him just the 40th player in major league history to hit 400 homers.

Rodriguez is 29 years, 316 days old. Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 400th homer at 30 years and 141 days.

Matsui, Giambi benched

New York Yankees manager Joe Torre juggled his lineup, taking Hideki Matsui out of the starting lineup for the first time since 2003 and giving a number of backups a start in hopes of snapping his team out of its latest funk.

Matsui hadn’t missed a start since Sept. 26, 2003.

Torre had to make another unanticipated change when Jason Giambi (back spasms) was a late scratch from his third straight start at first base and was replaced by Tino Martinez. Torre and Martinez were ejected in the fifth after arguing with the first-base umpire.

Phillies acquire Urbina

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired reliever Ugueth Urbina from the Detroit Tigers for infielder Placido Polanco.

The Phillies also get infielder Ramon Martinez in a move that clears the way for Chase Utley to play second base every day.

Urbina is 1-3 with nine saves and a 2.63 ERA, with 10 straight scoreless innings.

Polanco is batting .316 with three homers and 20 RBIs.

Clearing the bases

New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza left the game against Houston with a bruised left wrist. X-rays were negative and Piazza is day to day. … Atlanta’s injury woes continued when catcher Eddie Perez returned to the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis after being active for only one day. The Braves also are without Chipper Jones (foot) and starting pitchers Mike Hampton (forearm) and John Thomson (finger).