Rangers get rare series win, 3-2 over Yankees
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Colby Lewis retired the last 13 batters he faced in seven strong innings and the Texas Rangers clinched their first series victory in a month, beating the New York Yankees 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Brett Gardner led off the game with a homer for the second straight night, after homering twice in the series-opening loss for New York.
The Rangers had lost seven consecutive series since taking two of three against Minnesota from June 27-29.
Texas went ahead to stay with three runs in the first off Hiroki Kuroda (7-7). Elvis Andrus had an RBI double and scored the tiebreaking run on a single by Adrian Beltre, who came home on Leonys Martin's single.
Lewis (7-8) allowed four hits, including solo homers to Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury. The right-hander struck out four and walked two, and New York didn't have another runner after Carlos Beltran's two-out single in the third.
Neftali Feliz worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances since reassuming the closer role after Joakim Soria was traded to Detroit a week ago.
Left-hander Neal Cotts, considered a potential trade possibility before Thursday's non-waiver deadline, retired the top three batters in the Yankees lineup in order - Gardner, Derek Jeter and Ellsbury.
Kuroda, who had been 7-1 in his previous 15 starts in July over three seasons in New York, allowed nine hits over seven innings. He struck out four.
Jeter was 0 for 4 in his final game in Texas, where he was recognized before the game including an on-field appearance by former President George W. Bush.
Former Texas All-Stars Michael Young and Ivan Rodriguez presented Jeter a pair of boots inscribed with the Yankees logo, his name and No. 2. There was also a video shown of Bush and Jeter when the former president threw the first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series, just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Bush, a former Rangers owner who lives in Dallas, then came out and presented the Yankees captain a framed signed picture of the two together that night nearly 13 years ago.
Gardner has 14 homers, already six more than his career high last year, after pulling a drive deep down the right-field line. Ellsbury hit his ninth homer in the third.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: Second baseman Brian Roberts got his third game off in four days. Manager Joe Girardi said the 36-year-old is dealing with general soreness. Roberts has already played in 91 games this season, after averaging only 48 games the last four seasons with Baltimore.
Rangers: Left-hander Derek Holland, who had left knee surgery after getting tripped by his dog on the stairs at his home during the offseason, made his first rehab start for Double-A Frisco. He threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit, throwing 21 of 33 pitches for strikes with four strikeouts and two walks.
ON DECK
An off day Thursday for both New York and Texas. The Yankees go to Boston for the opener of a three-game series Friday night, when the Rangers start a nine-game trip with a series opener at Cleveland.
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