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LOS ANGELES (AP)—Alex Rodriguez didn’t join the pre-game parade of New York Yankees greeting Joe Torre during batting practice. He communicated through his bat, hitting a home run that won the game against his former manager.CC Sabathia won his fifth consecutive start with eight sharp innings and New York beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Friday night in the opener of their second-ever regular season series.

It was Torre’s first time facing the Yankees since leaving as manager in 2007 after leading the franchise to four World Series championships. It was like old home week for Torre, who shared embraces with current manager Joe Girardi and several players, but not Rodriguez, who stretched 15 feet from Torre with his back to him.

“I didn’t see him, but I’m sure we’ll get a chance to meet up,” Rodriguez said after the game.

Rodriguez was not favorably portrayed in Torre’s 2009 book “The Yankee Years” and earlier in the week declined to talk about him when asked.

Asked if he was upset about what was said in the book, Rodriguez said, “No, I’m focusing on what we have to do here. I’m sure we’ll get an opportunity to talk at some point. We’re going to be here for three days. There’s no rush.”

Then again, it may be up to Torre to make the first move.

“I don’t really have anything to say,” Rodriguez said. “If he wants to talk, I’m more than welcome to talk to him. Sure, I’ll say hello, but I didn’t get a chance to say hello to Donnie and Manny and my other good friends over there. But we’re not done yet. We leave Sunday.”

Rodriguez did credit Torre for being a “good teacher of hitting.”

Torre insisted he didn’t feel dissed that Rodriguez seemingly blew him off as he held court on the Yankees side of the batting cage.

“He was busy stretching and talking to other people, so that’s not what I call disrespect,” Torre said. “If we had come close enough, I’m certain that we would have shook hands. I wasn’t there solely for him to come over. There were coaches and players on that side and I was just going over to say hello to them.”

The AL East-leading Yankees won their third straight while sending the Dodgers to their 10th loss in 13 games, a slide that has plunged them from first to third in the NL West. Los Angeles remains on pace for its worst season in 15 years of interleague play, dropping to 3-10 with two games left against the Yankees.

Sabathia (9-3) allowed four hits and one run, struck out seven and walked three. The defense helped him out, turning double plays in the third and fifth innings.

“Fastball command was probably really erratic all night, but I was able to work through it,” he said. “Just trying to put together solid innings, especially with the May I had, not winning a game. It just feels good to help the team win.”

Mariano Rivera struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 17th save in 18 chances, striking out Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and James Loney. Loney complained to umpire Phil Cuzzi and was ejected as the game ended.

“I don’t complain to umpires, but that was I thought close to embarrassing for making those types of calls,” Torre said. “I can tell you from personal experience that Mariano doesn’t need any help. I thought that Phil Cuzzi called a couple of pitches that were terrible. I don’t think James had a shot.”

Vicente Padilla (1-2) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one in his second start since going on the disabled list April 23 with an inflamed nerve in his pitching arm.

The last time these teams met in the regular season, the Dodgers took two of three at home in 2004. Most of their history has come in the World Series, with New York winning eight of the 11 meetings.

Rodriguez connected for the 10th time, sending the first pitch from Padilla into the left field pavilion for his 593rd career homer.

“We have all kind of guys carrying us at this point, but when we get A-Rod back, we seemed to take off,” Sabathia said. “It looks like he’s heading that way.”

The Dodgers scored on Ramirez’s single in the first.

New York tied it in the second on a single by Jorge Posada that scored Rodriguez, who doubled to lead off the inning.

Then things got interesting.

Padilla hit Robinson Cano in the right hip leading off the fourth. Sabathia then plunked Padilla in the left leg one inning later, and gestured with his glove at the Dodgers pitcher as he made his way to first, with Posada walking alongside Padilla while staying between him and Sabathia. Sabathia made a pickoff throw to first.

“I’m a grown man. If somebody has something to say, say it to me,” Sabathia said. “I was just waiting. He was looking at me. I’m just standing there. I wasn’t pointing at him.”

Padilla has a history with New York’s Mark Teixeira dating to last year when he twice threw at his former teammate on the Texas Rangers. Nothing transpired between them this time.

NOTES: Torre and Girardi both carried their lineup cards to the plate before the game. … The Yankees are 10-6 in interleague play this season. … The Dodgers recalled RHP Jon Link from Triple-A Albuquerque and designated RHP Charlie Haeger for assignment. … The announced crowd of 56,000 was the Dodgers’ third sellout this season. … Pau Gasol of the two-time NBA champion Lakers threw out the first pitch and bassist Flea and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers played the national anthem.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Joe Torre and the New York Yankees are in the same city again — on opposite sides of the field.

Torre and his Los Angeles Dodgers got beat 2-1 in the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Yankees on Friday night, the first time that Torre is facing them since leaving New York in 2007.

He guided the Bronx Bombers to four World Series titles as manager, and his record of 1,173 wins and 767 losses made him the second-winningest skipper in team history.
The storied franchises have met 11 times in the World Series—the most of any two teams—with the Yankees winning eight times. But the current series is only the second they’ve played in the regular season. In 2004, the Dodgers won two of three when the Yankees visited.

“It should be interesting,” said Joe Girardi, who succeeded Torre after he left with mixed feelings. “It’s life. People move on, but it’s still kind of weird.”

The pre-game drama focused on whether Torre and Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez would greet each other. They didn’t.

Rodriguez was portrayed unfavorably in Torre’s 2009 book “The Yankee Years.” When A-Rod was asked about his former manager earlier in the week, he reportedly replied, “Next question.”

Asked after the game if he was upset about what was said in the book, Rodriguez said, “No, I’m focusing on what we have to do here. I’m sure we’ll get an opportunity to talk at some point. We’re going to be here for three days. There’s no rush.”

Then again, it may be up to Torre to make the first move.

“I don’t really have anything to say,” Rodriguez said. “If he wants to talk, I’m more than welcome to talk to him. Sure, I’ll say hello, but I didn’t get a chance to say hello to Donnie and Manny and my other good friends over there. But we’re not done yet. We leave Sunday.”

Torre insisted he didn’t feel dissed that Rodriguez seemingly blew him off as he held court on the Yankees side of the batting cage.

“He was busy stretching and talking to other people, so that’s not what I call disrespect,” Torre said after the game. “If we had come close enough, I’m certain that we would have shook hands. I wasn’t there solely for him to come over. There were coaches and players on that side and I was just going over to say hello to them.”

Asked if he was disappointed that A-Rod refused to talk about him, Torre said before batting practice, “Just because he doesn’t want to talk to me doesn’t mean, I don’t think it means he’s not going to say hello or shake my hand. I don’t think there’s anything that should keep us from doing that.”

Certainly it wasn’t for lack of proximity.

Torre practically held a receiving line while the Dodgers hit before the game.

About 15 feet away, A-Rod stretched with his back to Torre. He then headed out to shallow center field without so much as a glance at his former manager.

“I’m certainly going to go over and shake his hand,” Torre said before batting practice.

It never happened.

“I didn’t see him, but I’m sure we’ll get a chance to meet up,” Rodriguez said after the game.

Torre got a warm reception from just about everyone else wearing a navy jersey and gray pants.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter stretched at the same time he talked to Torre, who then hugged Girardi. Torre hugged catcher Jorge Posada and kissed him on the cheek after chatting up reliever Mariano Rivera and Yankees fan Billy Crystal.

“The thing you realize being around him so much is how he treats people. He treats everyone fairly, he doesn’t treat them all the same, but he treats them fairly,” Jeter said. “He takes the time to get to know people.”

Earlier in the week, Torre said he called Jeter to catch up on what Jeter said were non-baseball topics, and Torre picked up the Yankees trainers and clubhouse manager for breakfast on Thursday.

“I’m not going to pretend that it’s not going to be emotional. I got over that in ’96 when I was blubbering like a baby every time I opened my mouth, especially during the postseason,” Torre said. “There is baseball to play and that certainly has to be center stage over my personal relationship with these guys.”

Torre acknowledged that facing the Yankees in laid-back LA was “much easier because one thing, we have played better at home than on the road.”

The Yankees came into Dodger Stadium leading the AL East, while the Dodgers have lost nine of 12 games and fallen from first to third in the NL West.

The Dodgers opened the gates earlier than usual to allow fans in for batting practice. Yankees jerseys were visible in all sections of the ballpark.

Jeter wasn’t going to allow his longtime friendship with Torre to affect why he came to LA.

“I don’t care if it’s my parents in the other dugout, you try to beat him,” he said. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for him, that’ll always continue, but he’s playing against us.”

Jeter said it was “most awkward” seeing Don Mattingly in a Dodgers uniform than Torre. Mattingly is the LA hitting coach and considered by many to be the heir apparent to succeed Torre when he retires.

Mattingly played his entire 14-year career in the Bronx and was a Yankees hitting coach from 2004-06 and their bench coach in 2007—all under Torre.

Torre and Mattingly aren’t the only Dodgers with ties to New York.

First base coach Mariano Duncan won a World Series with the Yankees in 1996, and third base coach Larry Bowa held the same job with them from 2006-07 before moving West with Torre.

Girardi took a giant step out of Torre’s shadow last year when he guided the Yankees to their 27th world championship in his second season. He won three World Series with them as a catcher.

He began his coaching career in 2005, serving as Torre’s bench coach and catching instructor with the Yankees. During games, Girardi would pepper Torre with questions and suggest moves.

“There’s a calmness about Joe that I think is really important when you manage here,” Girardi said. “The greatest advice he ever gave me was just be yourself.”

For his part, Torre relied on Girardi to tell him what was going on among the players in the clubhouse. After he left, Jeter took on that job.

“Joey is a very intelligent kid,” Torre said. “I was glad that he played in New York so it wouldn’t be so foreign to him when he took the club over. He’s done a great job. It’s not always easy to go back and manage a lot of the players you played with.”

A.J. Burnett has come a long way from where he started the season, but that’s not a good thing.

Coming off his latest in a string of terrible outings, Burnett looks to avoid losing five straight starts for the first time in five years when he takes the ball for the visiting New York Yankees on Saturday against the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers.
Burnett (6-6, 4.83 ERA) displayed All-Star form the first month of the season, posting a 1.99 ERA through his first six starts while opening a career-best 4-0. He began to slip a bit over the following four weeks, going 2-2 with a 4.99 ERA, before completely derailing this month.

The right-hander has posted a 10.35 ERA while losing his four June starts. Against Arizona on Monday, Burnett was knocked around for seven runs and nine hits in four innings of a 10-4 loss. Most of the damage came in the first inning, when he was tagged for five runs – all scoring on three homers.

“I don’t feel like myself,” Burnett said. “I’m not having fun right now. Who would in a stretch like this? But the game is supposed to be fun. When you come out and take the air out of your team right away for a handful of starts it gets quite frustrating. I’m going to keep plugging away. It’s just a matter of getting on a good roll.”

This probably won’t happen if he can’t keep the ball in the park.

After giving up four homers in his first 11 outings, Burnett has surrendered nine in 20 innings during his skid. It’s the most homers he’s allowed in a four-start span in his 12-year career.

“He’s just not making his pitches is the bottom line,” New York manager Joe Girardi said. “We’ll get this corrected. We will, but right now he’s just not making pitches.”

Burnett hasn’t lost five straight starts since Aug. 24-Sept. 14, 2005, the worst stretch of his career. Immediately before the start of that losing skid, Burnett held Los Angeles to six hits in eight innings of a 3-0 win for Florida on Aug. 19, 2005 – still his last outing against the Dodgers.

He is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career starts versus Los Angeles.

The AL East-leading Yankees (46-27) won Friday’s series opener 2-1, as Alex Rodriguez homered in the sixth inning to snap a 1-all tie in manager Joe Torre’s first game against New York since leaving as manager following the 2007 season.

Rodriguez, who is batting .410 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 12 games in NL parks, was portrayed unfavorably in Torre’s book “The Yankee Years.”

New York won its third in a row while sending the Dodgers (39-34) to their 10th loss in 13 games, a slide that has dropped them from first to third in the NL West.

Los Angeles, which managed four hits Friday, has scored one run or none three times in its last five contests.

The slumping offense has made things tough for Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 3.06), Saturday’s probable Dodgers starter.

Kuroda has yielded two runs while striking out 23 over 19 innings in his last three starts, but has only one win to show for it because the offense has failed to score for him in two of those outings. The right-hander gave up two runs while striking out nine in seven innings at Boston on Sunday, but got charged with a 2-0 loss.

Kuroda is 1-6 with a 4.53 ERA in seven career interleague starts. He has never faced the Yankees.