Cano cleans up as A-Rod moves up

Cano cleans up as A-Rod moves up

Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (13) hits a home run in the 3rd inning to go up 4-0 opening day game against the Los Angeles Angels (Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News).

Alex Rodriguez h as been the cleanup hitter in all but three games he has started since the beginning of the 2009 season, but as of Friday, things began to change.

A-Rod was moved into the No. 3 spot against Angels righthander Ervin Santana, flip-flopping with Robinson Cano. The move, Joe Girardi said, was designed to split up Cano and No. 2 hitter Curtis Granderson, giving opposing managers a tougher decision when it comes to bringing in a lefty reliever.

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We just feel with some of these clubs that have two lefthanders or even one lefthander, it makes it a little bit more difficult to navigate through, Girardi said. We saw what Tampa did to us, bringing in lefties to face the two lefties in a row.

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Girardi said the lineup against lefthanded starters would remain the same, with Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher, Cano and Rodriguez filling out the top four spots and Granderson hitting sixth.

If you think thats a story, wait until I take over Jeters spot in the leadoff spot. That will be a real story, A-Rod joked. No matter where you hit, you have to just basically produce. I know it does one thing: It presents a situation or a decision for the opposing manager each and every day. At some point, someone should get a pretty favorable matchup.

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The Angels Albert Pujols, who made his first trip to the new Yankee Stadium Friday, actually lived briefly in New York when he emigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1996. He was 16 and his family moved to Independence, Mo., just a few months after Pujols saw a man shot at a grocery store, according to the ESPN Los Angeles website. Before Fridays game, Pujols recalled experiencing the winter for probably the first time. It was really cold, Pujols said. He still has a photo an aunt took of him and his father at the airport when they arrived.

Pujols also did not back off his statement from the previous day that he looks at coming to the Stadium for the first time he had played at the old Stadium in interleague play and in the 2008 All-Star Game the same way as playing at any other park. No disrespect to the history of this organization, the Yankees, but I take it like every other park. I get here early. I watch my video, getting prepared for the game. Obviously, maybe the fans are louder, but everything else is the same. The game doesnt change because youre playing in Yankee Stadium.

Pujols is homerless in his first seven games, marking his longest such stretch to start a season since 2008 (eight games).