Rodriguez Is the Youngest to 400

It was only a matter of time before Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees snapped out of it -- at least for a day.

Rodriguez became the youngest member of the 400-home run club, and a change in their routine got the Yankees back on the winning track with a 12-3 victory over the host Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

“It was a very special day for me, especially if you do it in a win that we needed most desperately,” Rodriguez said.

The Yankees, who have won two of their last 11 games, had 16 hits and scored their most runs in two weeks.

Mike Mussina (6-4) was the beneficiary of the offensive breakthrough led by Rodriguez, who homered twice, was four for four and drove in four runs.

Rodriguez hit a two-run drive against left-hander Chris Capuano in the first inning and a solo homer against left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the eighth, making the third baseman the 40th player in major league history to reach 400 homers.

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

“That’s pretty incredible,” Manager Joe Torre said. “The shape he’s in, the way he works, who knows where he’s going.”

Mussina gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, including Carlos Lee’s 15th homer. He walked one and struck out eight.

Cleveland 6, San Diego 1 -- Scott Elarton won a road start for the first time in more than four years -- a 0-13 stretch -- and Aaron Boone hit two home runs.

Elarton (3-2) held the Padres to one run and four hits in six innings. Boone had not homered in 108 at-bats.

Florida 5, Seattle 4 -- Dontrelle Willis (10-2) became the major leagues’ first 10-game winner, and Carlos Delgado drove in all of the Marlins’ runs at Miami to help the team end a four-game skid.

Willis gave up a season-high 10 hits and four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings but still became the third Marlin pitcher to win 10 games before an All-Star break.

Minnesota 10, Arizona 0 -- Johan Santana (7-2) threw a four-hitter at Phoenix and extended his major league strikeout lead to 114 strikeouts, 10 more than Pedro Martinez of the New York Mets.

Santana improved to 15-0 in 17 road starts since losing at Kansas City on May 29, 2004.

Washington 7, Oakland 2 -- Right-hander Esteban Loaiza (2-4) earned his first victory in more than a month and Ryan Church -- who had four hits -- Brian Schneider and Vinny Castilla homered at Washington to help the Nationals win their season-high sixth consecutive game.

Boston 4, St. Louis 0 -- David Wells (4-4) gave up four hits in eight innings, David Ortiz hit a homer and Jason Varitek had a two-run double in a rain-delayed game at St. Louis.

Chicago Cubs 2, Toronto 0 -- Sergio Mitre (1-1) gave up two hits in seven innings and had a run-scoring double against Roy Halladay (9-3) at Chicago.

Mitre retired the first 13 batters before Aaron Hill’s infield single in the fifth.

Chicago White Sox 15, Colorado 5 -- Orlando Hernandez (7-1) shook off a shaky start at Denver to win his sixth consecutive decision, and the White Sox had a season-high 22 hits to complete a three-game sweep.

Cincinnati 11, Tampa Bay 9 -- Wily Mo Pena homered in his first and last at-bats at Cincinnati as the Devil Rays blew a five-run lead for the second consecutive game.

The Reds hit six homers, including two in a row by Adam Dunn and Jacob Cruz in the eighth inning.

Philadelphia 2, Texas 0 -- Pat Burrell’s two-run single ended a scoreless tie, and four pitchers combined on a five-hitter for the host Phillies, who have won 11 of 13.

Chris Young (5-3) gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, losing for the first time since April 28.

Pittsburgh 6, Baltimore 1 -- Rob Mackowiak drove in four runs to support Kip Wells (5-4), and the Pirates dealt the Orioles their first road series loss since August.

The Pirates led, 3-0, before Bruce Chen (5-4) got an out.

Kansas City 4, San Francisco 1 -- Tony Graffanino tripled, drove in a run and scored twice, and Runelvys Hernandez (3-7) pitched six strong innings in a drizzle to help the Royals win consecutive road games for the first time since April 30-May 1 at Cleveland.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Houston 4, New York 1 -- Brandon Backe (6-3) worked around a career-high six walks, and pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro homered for the Astros at New York.

Craig Biggio and Jason Lane each had a run-scoring double.