Rodriguez chooses his words wisely

TORONTO —  Alex Rodriguez helped the New York Yankees end their five-game losing streak with his bat -- and his mouth.

Rodriguez distracted Toronto third baseman Howie Clark on a key popup late in the game, touching off arguments all over the field, and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays, 10-5, Wednesday.

Rodriguez hit a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth that made it 7-5. Jorge Posada followed with a high infield pop and Rodriguez ran hard, cutting between Clark and shortstop John McDonald.

Replays showed Rodriguez shouting something, and Clark backed off at the last second. McDonald was only a few steps behind Clark, but couldn’t make the catch and the ball dropped for a run-scoring single.

“I just said, ‘Hah!’ That’s it,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

McDonald started jawing with Rodriguez, and third base umpire Chad Fairchild got between them. Toronto Manager John Gibbons came out to argue, and exchanged words with Rodriguez and third base coach Larry Bowa before leaving the field as plate umpire Eric Cooper intervened. Rodriguez stayed on the bag with a smirk.

When Jason Giambi stepped up to hit, he seemed to get into it with catcher Jason Phillips and Cooper settled them down. Giambi followed with a two-run single.