Rodriguez homers twice in one inning

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez limped his way into Yankee Stadium, then got angry when the team sent him to a hospital for tests on his sore right ankle.

Not only did he play Wednesday, he had a game to remember.

Rodriguez talked his way into the lineup and became the first Yankees player in 30 years to homer two times in one inning, connecting twice in an eight-run seventh to lead New York over Seattle, 10-2.

The Yankees opened a three-game lead in the American League wild-card race over the Mariners, who lost for the 11th time in 12 games.

“Kind of messed with my routine a little bit,” Rodriguez said.

“I wasn’t very fired up about that.”

Rodriguez banged up his ankle Tuesday in a collision with Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre.

His first homer tied Mel Ott on the career list, and his second matched Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 17th place at 512.

Rodriguez, who leads the majors with 48 homers and 134 runs batted in, had the 51st multihomer game of his career and became the first Yankees player to homer twice in an inning since Cliff Johnson on June 30, 1977, at Toronto.