Rodriguez returns to help power Yankees past Angels

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees stormed to a 14-9 home victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, as Alex Rodriguez marked his return to action by belting the 493rd home run of his career.

The sixth-inning homer, Rodriguez's 29th of the season, moved the third baseman into a tie for 22nd place on baseball's all-time list with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff.

"Lou Gehrig, I've been a huge fan of his," Rodriguez told reporters when asked about the Hall of Famer from the 1930s.

"I don't know too much about him. I just know he was a great New York Yankee."

After missing Thursday's game with a strained hamstring, Rodriguez capped his return with a single and double to end an 0-for-19 slump with a three-run haul in going 3-for-4.

Every Yankee in the starting lineup had at least one hit as New York set season highs for runs and hits (19) in winning for the fourth time in five games.

The Yankees scored six runs in the third to take a commanding 8-3 lead, but the Angels rallied to tie the score at 9-9 in the sixth on Chone Figgins's two-run single.

New York then scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take control of the game.

Johnny Damon got the go-ahead run off an error by Angels's center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. after Melky Cabrera had singled.

Rodriguez then made it 12-9 with his homer, that also scored Cabrera.

*The Minnesota Twins used their power-hitting to sweep a double-header from the Chicago White Sox.

Jason Kubel hit a grand slam and drove in seven runs as Minnesota won the opener 20-14 in the Major League's highest scoring game since 1999. Justin Morneau then homered three times and drove in six runs in the second game as Minnesota won 12-0.

*Marcus Thames's grand-slam home run in a five-run fifth inning powered the Detroit Tigers to a 9-2 home win over the Boston Red Sox. Rookie pitcher Andrew Miller allowed one run and three hits over seven innings as the Tigers won their third straight game.

*Outfielder Reed Johnson returned to the Toronto lineup for the first time since April back surgery and made a game-saving ninth-inning catch in the Blue Jays's 8-6 home win over the Cleveland Indians.

*Michael Young's 10th inning single gave the Texas Rangers a 4-3 home win over the Baltimore Orioles.