MLB

• Yanks aim to salvage set with Jays; A-Rod still going for No. 600

  (Sports Network) - The wait continues.

  Alex Rodriguez's quest to become the youngest player to 600 home runs continues this afternoon when the New York Yankees try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

  Rodriguez, who was 0-for-3 in Tuesday's loss, has gone 46 at-bats and 51 plate appearances since hitting No. 599 back on July 22 in the Bronx. Once Rodriguez finally reaches the milestone, he should easily become the youngest player to do so. Babe Ruth hit his 600th at age 36, while Rodriguez turned 35 just last week.

  Ruth may have reached the plateau quicker, hitting No. 600 in his 6,921st at- bat, but Rodriguez's pace (8,684 at-bats entering play Monday) trails only that of Barry Bonds (8,212) and eclipses Willie Mays (9,514) and Henry Aaron (10,009).

  However, his amount of at-bats between home runs is the longest drought between homers 599 and 600 of the six other members in the club. He is also hitless in his last five games, just 3-for-his-last-33 at the plate and 9- for-46 since launching No. 599.

  Rodriguez belted his 500th career home run three years ago to this day.

  "It's hard to tell if a guy's pressing," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said. "He?s not making faces that shows you that he?s pressing. Right now, he?s in a little funk. The biggest thing about milestones is sometimes they get in the way a little bit.

  You hope that guys don't think about it too much, but this is a pretty big milestone. We've got to get through it." Hoping to keep A-Rod's name out of the record books this afternoon will be righty Shawn Marcum, who has won his last three starts.

  Marcum beat the Cleveland Indians on Friday, holding them to a run and three hits in seven innings to run his record to 10-4.

  Marcum has won five of his last six decisions and has surrendered more than two runs just once in a span of seven starts to lower his earned run average on the season to 3.24.

  Rodriguez has gone 4-for-17 against Marcum, but one of those hits was a home run.

  The Yankees fell out of first place in the American League East on Tuesday, as Ricky Romero threw his third complete game of the season and was backed by four Toronto home runs in Toronto's 8-2 win.

  Romero (9-7) gave up two runs on only two hits and one walk, and retired the final 15 batters he faced.

  "Definitely feels good to be able to do this against this team and that lineup here at Yankee Stadium," Romero said. "It's definitely special." Jose Bautista hit his major-league leading 33rd homer of the season for the Blue Jays, who also won in the opener of this set. Travis Snider, Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill also went deep for Toronto, which has an MLB-best 167 homers.

  Dustin Moseley (1-1) allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk in 7 1/3 innings for the Yankees, who have dropped three in a row.

  "No one ever said this was going to be easy," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said.

  Getting the call for New York today will be righty Phil Hughes, who is 12-4 with a 4.07 ERA, but has lost two of his last three starts. Hughes pitched well against Tampa on Friday, but surrendered a late two-run home run to get charged with the loss.

  He allowed three runs and four hits in six innings of that one.

  Hughes has faced the Jays 13 times (six starts) and is 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA.

  The Jays have won five of their eight games with the Yanks this season after losing 12 of the 18 matchups between the clubs a year ago.

  08/04 11:09:06 ET