New York Yankees edge Miami Marlins

Alex Rodriguez had two singles to reach 2,999 career hits and Carlos Beltran stroked a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning Thursday night to fuel the New York Yankees in a 9-4 win over the Miami Marlins.

Aiming to become the 29th player in major league history with 3,000 hits, Rodriguez had two chances to reach the milestone but flied out and walked in his last two at-bats.

Beltran's homer came one inning after Brett Gardner tied the score with a two- run shot in the sixth. The Yankees won the last two games at home to split the four-game series, which began with back-to-back Marlins victories in Miami.

They had 15 hits to back six innings from lefty CC Sabathia, who had seven strikeouts and no walks but gave up three runs on six hits. Three relievers combined to give up one run over the last three innings.

Marlins right-hander Mat Latos went 5 2/3 innings in his first-ever start against the Yankees, yielding three runs, six hits and two walks while striking out six.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his MLB-leading 25th home run of the season and also collected his major league-leading 63rd RBI.

Stanton's one-out blast to left in the sixth pushed Miami's lead to 3-1, but the Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the inning after Mason Williams hit a two-out double and Gardner homered to right-center on Latos' last pitch.

Looking for No. 3,000, Rodriguez came up with a runner on first base but flied out to end the inning.

Instead, the Yankees moved ahead an inning later after Brian McCann singled off Mike Dunn (1-4) and Beltran followed with a homer to left, his fifth of the season.

The Marlins had the tying run at the plate three times in the eighth after Dee Gordon led off with a single for his third hit of the game. But Justin Wilson retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts.

Rodriguez batted again in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on first but saw a string of inside balls from Sam Dyson in a four-pitch walk. McCann hit an RBI single, Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch, Chris Young hit an RBI double and Stephen Drew capped the four-run rally with a sacrifice fly.

Jeff Mathis hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth for Miami.

Rodriguez's RBI hit in the first inning was the third consecutive single to start the game for New York.

But Gordon led off the fourth inning with a triple, Miami's first baserunner against Sabathia, and scored on Christian Yelich's ground out and the Marlins took the lead on Mathis' sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Rodriguez hit a one-out single in the fifth inning and landed at third base on Mark Teixeira's double. Both runners were stranded after Latos struck out McCann and retired Beltran on a pop up.

[SportsNetwork.com]