Yankees 9 Minnesota 6: Do you think Johnny Damon took being benched against a lefty last night personally? Damon showed why he should be in the lineup every night by leading off the game with a home run. It was a desperately needed spark for a team that came into the game having lost 11-of-16. Mike Mussina kept up his unbelievable season with seven strong innings, allowing three runs while striking out five. But, Mariano......

Alex Rodriguez filed documents this morning responding to his estranged wife Cynthia's divorce filing from three weeks ago. While Cynthia Rodriguez asked for a share of his considerable earnings (not to mention support for their two daughters and their mansion), A-Rod contends that their pre-nuptial agreement should stand (Florida is a no-fault state), pointing out C-Rod signed the pre-nup "with the assistance of counsel of her own choosing, freely and voluntarily ... and with full......

Photograph of Red Sox fans making A-Rod's time in the on-deck circle more Madonna-ful by Elise Amendola/AP As expected, the hometown crowd at Fenway Park was ready to harass Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, whose private life has been very public lately. Last year, after A-Rod's public appearance with a blond stripper made news, Boston fans wore blond lady masks. Though fans were armed with photographs of Madonna, who allegedly used Kabbalah to lure A-Rod,......

The Post learns that Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Rodriguez are looking to avoid a public "slugfest" in their divorce proceedings. The source said, "They're going to try and arrive at a settlement so they don't have a very public dispute." Wait, does that mean we won't get any more "details" about A-Rod visiting Madonna to learn about Kabbalah or C-Rod's supposed relationship with Lenny Kravitz? Did they learn something from the Christie Brinkley-Peter Cook divorce......

On a day when Jorge Posada went back on the DL and the news was almost as bad about Hideki Matsui, it was a good sign that the Yankees banged out 16 hits in a 12-4 victory Monday night. Posada will probably be unable to catch for the rest of the season at best and is more likely gone for the year. Matsui is rejecting the advice of doctors and trying one last time to......

After a relatively quiet week of accusations between the Rodriguezes, now friends of Alex tell Rush & Malloy that estranged wife Cynthia was emotionally abusing the Yankees slugger. The FOA-Rod said, "Cynthia has a master's degree in psychology. Once she found out how vulnerable he was, she got into his head. Several of us begged him not to marry this woman, but he did it anyway." Another claimed, "She said she wanted him to become......

Yankees 7 Oakland 1: If you believe in omens, New York started the second half on a great note. After struggling all season long to get clutch hits, the Yankees got a bunch of them Friday as they easily beat the A’s. It was the newest Yankee, Richie Sexson, who got the Yankees on the board with a RBI-single in the first. New York then blew open the game with a huge home run from......

Alex Rodriguez was spotted at the 40/40 Club not with a purported gal pal but Shaquille O'Neal! Rodriguez and O'Neal are both superstar athletes who are used to the glare of the spotlight--and they happen to share the same divorce lawyer, Ira Elegant (though it's unclear how Shaq's divorce is progressing, since he was seen with his estranged wife recently). A-Rod was hosting a party at the club, and TMZ says the DJ played Madonna......

With renewed scrutiny over Alex Rodriguez's off-field activities due to the rumors and his wife's divorce filing, the Post noticed that the parents of A-Rod's stripper friend made a deal to buy a Florida condo...from A-Rod's property firm. Joslyn Morse, who was put on the Post's cover last year and allegedly traveled around the country with A-Rod, had no comment about the condo situation or whether A-Rod helped pay for the $169,000 home, but this......

Photograph of David Wright stealing second base by Julie Jacobson/AP Mets 3 Colorado 0: Finally this team is playing the way the fans expected. Make it eight-straight after Saturday’s victory and even Pedro’s early exit couldn’t dampen the mood at Shea. The Rockies only managed one hit against four Mets’ pitchers and every regular in the lineup got a hit. Pedro is going to be ok, it sounds as if Jerry Manuel was just......

Yesterday, Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez got a visit from his three-year-old daughter Natasha. Wife Cynthia Rodriguez, who recently filed for divorce, brought their eldest daughter to Toronto where the Yankees were playing the Blue Jays, and photographers captured A-Rod happily carrying Natasha into the Park Hyatt. While a friend of the couple told the Daily News, perhaps in an effort to tamp down the overload of nasty details and accusations, "It was very amicable.......

The breakup of Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Rodrigeuz's marriage took another nasty turn after she filed for divorce yesterday. The Yankee third baseman's friends told the Daily News that C-Rod spent $100,000 during her trip to Paris. This comes as one of Cynthia Rodriguez's divorce lawyers called A-Rod's much-rumored affair with Madonna "an affair of the heart." Friends for both sides of the couple have been trying to win over the public by leaking......

Cynthia Rodriguez filed for divorce from Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez today in Miami. According to the papers, she claims A-Rod "emotionally abandoned" her and that the marriage is "irretrievably broken" due to his "extra-marital affairs and other marital misconduct." She is looking for primary custody of their two daughters, child support to "maintain the existing lifestyle of the children," and their $12 million home in Coral Gables, Florida, plus paying attorney's fees. Notably, she......

Alex Rodriguez's ex-trainer tells the Post that the superstar athlete is totally besotted--or something else--by Madonna, "Alex, God bless him, is lost...I think he got pulled in by the dark side, if you can say that nicely. He's totally brainwashed." Dodd Romero, his wife, and their daughter spent the past few days in Paris with A-Rod's wife Cynthia, and his revelations supported the "Cynthia thinks Madonna brainwashed A-Rod" line previously mentioned by the Daily News,......

First, there was talk that Madonna had engaged a divorce lawyer. Then there were rumors Madonna's potential split with Guy Ritchie was due to an affair with Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez. Now, things have gotten really crazy with suggestions that A-Rod's wife Cynthia has left him for...Lenny Kravitz! Sources told Perez Hilton A-Rod is not having an affair with the Material Girl but he's actually the one being cheated on. The Rodriguezes' troubles have......

The OK! Magazine article which points a judging finger at Madonna and A-Rod's "friendship" is now in print and online (well, partially) for all of those suspect of the pals. NYMag points out the juiciest quote from US Weekly, however, in which a source says the Yankee has been seen heading into Madonna's Central Park West apartment regularly for the past several weeks, staying "as late as midnight." All the doormen are talking, they say!......

Photograph of umpire Dan Iassogna and Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton watch New Yankees catcher Jose Molina after being hit by a pitch by Kathy Willens/AP Texas 2 Yankees 1: For the second game in a row, the Yankees’ offense took the day off. Apart from an Alex Rodriguez home run and a Jason Giambi triple (yes really) the Yankees only managed two other hits and only drew three walks. The lack of punch spoiled......

Could Yankee and lover of "well-toned, muscular" women, A-Rod, be the cause of the alleged marital problems between Madonna and Guy Ritchie? Radar reports that the issue of OK! Magazine hitting newsstands tomorrow claims the two are having an affair. The pair did go to the same gym last year and share a manager, after all; further proof in the article, Radar assumes, will be given through various "close friends."......

Mets 3 Yankees 1: It’s clear that Oliver Perez needs to make all his starts against the Yankees. Back in May, Perez dominated the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Sunday it was another dominating performance, this time at Shea. Perez allowed only three hits over seven innings while striking out 8. Another Met who will be sorry to see the Subway Series end is Carlos Delgado. Delgado hit his third home run of the series, a......

Photograph of David Wright being congratulated by third base coach Luis Aguayo after his solo home run by Julie Jacobson/AP Mets 8 Seattle 2: New York came out angry and scored early as they romped to a sweep-avoiding victory. Maybe it was Jerry Manuel’s decision to change the team's warmup routine, maybe it was the thought of being swept by the worst team in the American League. Whatever the reason, the Mets showed some......

Photograph of Alex Rodriguez celebrating with third base coach Bobby Meacham after A-Rod hit a third-inning home run by Frank Franklin II/AP Yankees 8 Padres 5: Is it a coincidence that the Yankees have gone 19-9 since A-Rod returned to the lineup? You certainly have to give Posada some credit too, but the lineup is scoring again and the Yankees have been able to overcome some rough pitching, especially from their bullpen. Wednesday night......

Yankees 8 Houston 4: So far, a trip to Houston seems just like what the Yankees needed. Down 3-0 early, New York stormed back to win the game. Alex Rodriguez got the Yankees onto the board with a home run to right that got some assistance from an Astros’ fan who got his glove in the way. Jose Molina provided a huge double in the third that gave New York a 5-3 lead. ...

Jose Guillen has always hit well against the Yankees, but he took it to a new level in the four-game series the Royals just completed with the Yankees, where he went 9-for-16 with 4 home runs and several outfield assists. Guillen’s last home run of the series was off of Mariano Rivera in the 9th and it turned a 2-2 game into a 3-2 one that the Royals won. Guillen’s blast ruined a great day......

Yankees 8 Orioles 0: Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs, only one that counted, and the Yankees cruised to an easy victory for the first time in ages. Rodriguez hit a home run in the third and then clearly hit a ball off the yellow staircase in right in the sixth, but the umpires ruled the ball was in play and he had to settle for a double Considering what happened Sunday night with Carlos......

Mets 11, Yankees 2: The Mets entered the weekend with a lot of questions about Willie Randolph’s future, but after a two-game sweep of the Yankees, it’s Joe Girardi who should be looking over his shoulder. The Mets crushed the Yankees Sunday night; with Oliver Perez allowing only three hits and two runs over 7.2 innings of work and the Mets bullpen didn’t allow a baserunner over the final 1.1 innings. The Mets got home......

Yankees 5 Indians 2: Maybe it was the cold temperatures, but the Yankees couldn’t do anything for the first five innings. They were no-hit through five, but the sixth proved to be the difference. Melky Cabrera and Derek Jeter reached on infield singles and after Bobby Abreu singled the Yankees had the bases loaded and no outs. A-Rod was hit by a pitch, driving in a run and Jason Giambi drove in a run with......

Mets 13 Marlins 0: The game is the good news as the Mets pounded out 17 hits against Florida in an easy win. Ryan Church got it started with a home run in the second and David Wright also added his first shot of the year. Oliver Perez looked very good, striking out eight over six innings. The bad news came from Pedro Martinez who is out 4-to-6 weeks with what is being described as......

Alex Rodriguez has a permanent residence in the spotlight. His contract and tendency to put his foot in his mouth both have something to do with it. A bigger reason is the media's unhealthy obsession with him, but that's besides the point. Tuesday's hot topics: Rodriguez's valuing winning over money and Jose Canseco's steroid allegations. In his interview with the Daily News, Rodriguez says he made a mistake when he went to Texas for more......

Photo of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte by AP/Chris O'Meara Andy Pettitte has always wanted the ball in his hand with the game on the line...until now. Faced with the prospect of having to publicly contradict his friend, Roger Clemens, Pettitte asked to be excused from tomorrow’s hearing in Congress. Representative Tom Davis told Newsday last night that the Pettitte deposition matched McNamee’s in “most details” but Roger Clemens’ deposition says Pettitte is mistaken.......

When it came to New Year's Eve countdown broadcasts, we were traditional and stuck with Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Which means we missed out on $275-million man Alex Rodriguez counting down with Carson Daly on Daly's New Year's Eve program. New York sports talk radio was discussing the Yankee's appearance, jokingly calling him "Mr. New York." Well, not only is A-Rod loving NYC these days, he's also being managed by Guy Oseary......