NEW YORK — —
These romps around the bases fit the Rangers just fine.
Craig Gentry turned a spot start into a tiebreaking hit and the Rangers avoided a four-game sweep in a matchup of AL division leaders, rallying past the New York Yankees 10-6 Thursday.
Texas had lost eight straight at Yankee Stadium overall. The high-scoring Rangers had done little in this series, too, totaling only four runs before getting 16 hits in the finale.
“I don’t know about putting up 10 runs every night,” manager Ron Washington said. “It’s certainly the offense I expect to see most nights.”
Gentry started for the first time in two weeks, and his two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning put the Rangers ahead 7-5. Adrian Beltre also had three RBIs, and Josh Hamilton doubled twice and scored three times.
“We know what we’re capable of,” said David Murphy, who contributed three hits.
Taking no chances, Washington summoned closer Joe Nathan for the first time in more than a week to finish it out in a non-save situation.
Ichiro Suzuki got three hits for the Yankees, who had won seven of eight.
Texas tagged starter Ivan Nova and a shaky New York bullpen.
“It’s going to happen. Our guys aren't going to be perfect out there,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Texas took a 2-0 lead into the sixth before both teams broke loose with the bats. It was a seesaw from then on, with the Yankees rallying for a 5-4 lead before the Rangers came back with three in the seventh.
Murphy hit a tying RBI double off Boone Logan (4-1) and, after an intentional walk that loaded the bases, Gentry lined a tiebreaking single up the middle off Joba Chamberlain.
Gentry delivered his first hit since July 29 and tied a career best for RBIs. Working out and staying fresh is the key to being ready, he said.
"Definitely don't mentally shut it down," Gentry said.
The Yankees closed to 7-6 in the bottom half on Mark Teixeira's RBI grounder. Reliever Michael Kirkman struck out Andruw Jones, who'd homered the previous inning, with runners at the corners to prevent further damage.
Beltre added a sacrifice fly and Geovany Soto hit an RBI single in the eighth off a struggling Chamberlain.
"There's some inconsistency. He'll make some really good pitches and then miss his spot," Girardi said.
Down 4-0, the Yankees once again picked on Derek Holland while rallying for five runs in the sixth.
Batting cleanup for the first time this season, Jones tied it with a two-out, two-run homer that umpires confirmed on video review. Texas third baseman Beltre pointed foul the whole time Jones rounded the bases, but the replay showed the ball clearly landed several feet inside the left-field foul pole.
Rookie right fielder Mike Olt then dropped Casey McGehee's fly for a two-base error and Russell Martin met reliever Tanner Scheppers with a go-ahead single.
Holland began the afternoon 0-5 with a 9.26 ERA against the Yankees in regular-season play, though he has beaten them in relief during the playoffs.
Scheppers (1-0) won his first big league decision.
The no-decision left Nova with one win in his last seven starts. In trouble early, he struck out Hamilton on three pitches with the bases loaded and no outs in the third and escaped that jam without allowing a run.
NOTES: Yankees 2B Robinson Cano didn't start for the second straight day because of a stiff neck. He walked as a pinch hitter in the eighth and pulled into third on a double by Suzuki — some fans thought Cano could've scored on the play. ... 2B Ian Kinsler and RF Nelson Cruz didn't start, with Washington trying to rest them. Cruz pinch hit and stayed in to play right field. ... Derek Jeter's RBI single in the Yankees sixth extended his hitting streak to 12 games. ... Rangers RHP Yu Darvish turned 26. He is set to start Friday night in Toronto. He is seeking his 13th win, which would set a team record for rookies. ... Yankees RHP Phil Hughes starts Friday night at home against Boston.
Sports
Rangers salvage finale 10-6
Gentry’s key hit paves way past Yankees
- Sports
-
-
GC Baseball: Unbelievable - Windthorst plates 6 in seventh to stun Dawson
Bo Moore lives by the run. He likes to put pressure on the opponent. A three-run seventh looked like just enough cushion in a five-run game. But it wasn’t. Windthorst scored six runs, five with two outs, to steal a 7-6 win from Dawson in Game 1 of the Region II-1A seminfinals at Weatherford College.
-
NC Baseball: Bloodlines run deep for top hurler
Lukas Schiraldi will likely be drafted in the first five to six rounds in June’s Major League Baseball draft. Navarro’s right-hander already has signed with the University of Texas. His baseball career will continue at the next level after the JUCO World Series.
-
Melton homers again as A&M tops Vanderbilt, 5-0
Parker Ray pitched eight-plus innings to lead Texas A&M to a 5-0 victory over top-seeded Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament. Hunter Melton of Corsicana homered for the second straight day.
-
GC Softball: Single focus - Hubbard has sights set on steady Sam Rayburn
When Tuesday’s rains blew through Hubbard, blowing up the last half of practice, the Lady Jags loaded up, and went home. They can only hope to be loading up and going south next week. Hubbard (24-6-1) has a chance to set GPS devices for Austin if the Lady Jags can get past Sam Rayburn (28-2) Friday in the Region II-1A championship.
-
Area Schedule: Updated to correct Navarro's game time Saturday
Here is an updated schedule for this week's three remaining Golden Circle sports teams: Navarro baseball, Dawson baseball and Hubbard softball. It corrects the game time for Navarro, which is playing in the JUCO World Series in Colorado, on Mountain Time.
-
Melton powers Texas A&M past Florida, 6-3
Hunter Melton hit a three-run homer and had an RBI single to help Texas A&M defeat Florida 6-3 on Tuesday in the Aggies' first appearance in the SEC baseball tournament.
-
GC Baseball: ’Dogs want more - Windthorst next up for surging Dawson
At this point, it might be easy to classify the rest of the baseball season for Dawson as gravy. But hold on a minute, coach Bo Moore said. The Bulldogs (20-7) are in the Region II-1A semifinals, the club’s deepest trek in many, many moons. To do that, they beat a Dodd City team that ousted them last year in the area round.
-
NC Baseball: Multi-tooled, Reeves has brought offense, defense
Navarro catcher John Clay Reeves is back in the World Series. Only this year it’s the JUCO World Series and Grand Junction, Colo., and not the NCAA Division I College World Series and famed Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. like it was in 2012.
-
Lindblom loses 1st start, Rangers fall to A's 9-2
Josh Lindblom pitched out of trouble several times early in his debut as a major league starter. The Texas right-hander couldn't do it in the fifth inning. Seth Smith homered and scored three times, Bartolo Colon pitched seven strong innings for his first win in a month and the Oakland A's beat the Rangers 9-2 on Monday night.
-
GC Softball: Mildred wins Game 2, but falls in series finale to Garrison
The Mildred Lady Eagles dropped their regional semifinal series to the Garrison Lady BulldogsSaturday in Lindale. After losing a heartbreaker on Friday night, the Eagles fought back to take Game 2, 2-1, but fell in the deciding game, 3-1.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
