Yankees Rough Up Rangers Pitchers Again
NEW YORK (AP) - The Rangers have seen some pretty big numbers on the scoreboard recently.
Too bad they're not coming from Texas' potent offense.
Mark Teixeira hit two-run homers from each side of the plate and the New York Yankees connected five times Wednesday night, romping past Texas 12-4 for the second straight night.
Rangers pitchers have given up 70 runs in the last nine games, a 2-7 slide.
"We need a well-pitched game, that's what we need, whether it comes from a starter or the bullpen," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We need somebody to go out there and pitch a good game so the offense has a chance to breathe a little bit."
For the second straight night, the Yankees humbled a Rangers starter on a roll. They knocked around Alexi Ogando on Tuesday for six early runs in handing him his first loss off the season. This time, New York forced Holland to throw 103 pitches in giving up six runs in five innings. Holland (5-2) last lost April 16 at Yankee Stadium.
Holland had leads of 2-0 and 4-3 but couldn't hold it. He allowed seven hits and walked five without getting a strikeout.
"I'm not happy at all," Holland said. "My team is out there scoring runs for me and I did a horrible job of keeping the damage down."
Robinson Cano and youngsters Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena homered as New York handed Texas its season-high fourth straight loss.
"I'm not going to stress out over it," Michael Young said. "I know we have to pick it up and we've got to play better. But I'm not sitting here with my head down moping around."
In the second game without the injured Derek Jeter, Yankees manager Joe Girardi got creative with his lineup. Batting leadoff for the first time since 2008, Nick Swisher reached base three times. Andruw Jones, starting in left field for Brett Gardner with left-hander Holland on the mound, hit the tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth.
"Just great at-bats," Girardi said about the Yankees' recent hitting success.
Francisco Cervelli added a run-scoring hit and made a gymnastic play at the plate filling in for catcher Russell Martin, out again with a stiff back.
Teixeira homered from the right side in the first after Ivan Nova (6-4) gave up two quick runs to Texas. He connected on a deep drive to right from the left side off Mark Lowe in the sixth, his 21st home run of the season.
The Yankees first baseman tied Chili Davis and Eddie Murray for most times homering from both sides of the plate all-time with 11.
Nunez hit a tying homer in the fourth on his 24th birthday. Pena led off the sixth with his first of the year. New York has hit a major league-leading 103 homers. No other team entered Wednesday with 80.
Young and Josh Hamilton had RBIs in the first to give the Rangers the early lead. Ian Kinsler homered leading off the third and Adrian Beltre had a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 4-3.
The Yankees took the lead for good in the fifth. Alex Rodriguez slid across home plate just ahead of catcher Yorvit Torrealba's sweep tag on Jones' hit to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead.
Cervelli then hit an RBI single but Nunez, who walked, was thrown out third to end the inning.
Curtis Granderson teamed up with Cervelli to protect the lead in the sixth. Granderson fielded Elvis Andrus' single to medium center field and came up throwing. The strong throw was slightly off line but Cervelli forced Torrealba to the outside by blocking the plate with his left leg and he quickly dived backward to apply the tag for the third out.
"Granderson made the play and Cervelli made the play," Washington said. "Hell of a job. Tip your hat."
Cano hit a soaring homer in the eighth off Rangers closer Neftali Feliz, pitching for the first time in a week.
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