BRONX, NY -- Alex Rodriguez sent his 599th home run over the wall and Derek Jeter legged out the second inside-the-park homer of his career as the Yankees defeated the Royals, 10-4, on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.  Rodriguez's knock on the doorstep of the 600-homer club came in the seventh inning facing Kansas City reliever Robinson Tejeda, who grooved an 0-2 pitch that was dispatched by A-Rod, rocketing over the right-field wall for his 16th home run of the season.

A-Rod had the option of trotting, but Jeter didn't in the third, smashing a drive toward the New York bullpen that eluded David DeJesus when the center fielder crashed into the plexiglass fence and suffered a right thumb sprain. Jeter slid home safely with his first inside-the-parker since Aug. 2, 1996, off Kansas City's Jeff Montgomery.

Bombers ace CC Sabathia ventured 120 pitches into an up-and-down effort, scattering 11 hits but avoiding the majority of damage while exiting charged with four runs (three earned). Sabathia walked four and struck out nine in the effort.  The Royals notched two quick runs in the first against Sabathia, as Jose Guillen stroked a RBI double and Wilson Betemit added a run-scoring single, though Betemit was thrown out at second base stretching before another run could score.

Scott Podsednik added an RBI single in the second inning that tipped a diving Jeter's glove.  Kansas City moved across its fourth run in the sixth, as Sabathia struck out Yuniesky Betancourt on a pitch in the dirt, but catcher Jorge Posada saw Willie Bloomquist dancing off third and fired an errant throw down the left field line.

A-Rod made the first strike against Kansas City starter Bruce Chen, looping a two-run ground-rule double inside the right-field line in the first inning. Posada had an RBI double in the fifth and Marcus Thames added a sacrifice fly against the journeyman Chen, who allowed five runs in six innings.