Major League Baseball

A-Rod's HR helps Yanks past Tigers

Published Jul. 19, 2009 8:04 a.m. ET

foxsports

Justin Verlander followed the trajectory of the ball and watched helplessly as Alex Rodriguez's opposite-field fly settled softly into the second row of right-field seats.

All of a sudden, after six dominant innings, Verlander was losing.

Welcome to the new Yankee Stadium.

CC Sabathia beat Verlander in a prime pitching matchup that lived up to its billing, and Rodriguez's pop-fly homer sent the New York Yankees to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.