Texas Rangers Win Back-to-Back One-Run Games In the Bronx

If there is one team that the Texas Rangers' organization and their fans hate to play and see on the schedule, it's the New York Yankees.

In the Rangers' three postseason appearances, each time they have run into the Yankees, and lost all three series, with a 1-9 record.

But on the last day of June and the first day of July, the Texas Rangers faced the Yankees for the first time this season, in the Bronx, and the Rangers had the Yanks' number.

Monday, June 30, while holding their heads barely above .500 (42-41), the Rangers went into Yankee Stadium for maybe the last time ever, and were looking to stay strong going into the All-Star break.

Scott Feldman faced-off against Yankee ace Mike Mussina.

In the third inning, Ian Kinsler (pictured above) stroked his 26th double of the season. Two batters later, with two-outs, Josh Hamilton singled to right-center, scoring Kinsler and giving Hamilton a ML-leading 80th RBI.

An inning later, newly promoted power-hitter, and RBI machine, Chris Davis (23 HRs and 77 RBI in 77 minor-league games this season) pounded out his first major-league double, scoring David Murphy.

The Yankees cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth when ex-Ranger slugger Alex Rodriguez hit his 16th home run, a 440-foot homer to left.

The 2-1 lead is all the Rangers' bullpen would need that night, as relievers Frank Francisco, Jamey Wright, and C.J. Wilson threw 3.1 innings of perfect baseball, including a one-two-three bottom of the ninth for closer Wilson's 18th save of the season.

The win improved the Rangers record to 43-41, the first time they were two games over .500 since September 22, 2006, in a win against Cleveland.

On Tuesday, the Rangers looked to try and win the series against the Yankees with ace Kevin Millwood on the mound against New York's hopeful ace, Joba Chamberlain.

Again, the Rangers struck first in this game when Chris Davis blasted a ball off the left-center field wall. But a miscommunication on the basepath allowed only David Murphy to score from second and held Davis to a single.

The next batter, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, singled in Marlon Byrd from second, but Davis was thrown out trying to go from first to third on the hit, and the Rangers settled with the two runs.

The Yankees got a few runs back in two of the next three innings. A Robinson Cano single in the fourth scored Jason Giambi, and Wilson Betemit singled to score Jorge Posada two innings later.

For the second straight night, both bullpens pitched near flawless baseball.

In the top of the ninth, the Rangers had the top of their lineup coming to the plate, and the Yankees' skipper decided to pitch his perfect closer Mariano Rivera, with his 0.96 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP.

Potential All Star Ian Kinsler lead the inning off with a double down the left-field line, and then stole third base a few pitches later. It was Kinsler's 23rd steal of the season, and third of the game.

One pitch after the steal, Michael Young laced a ball into center field, scoring Kinsler. 

Texas could not add any more runs. They put the ball in closer C.J. Wilson's hand again. Wilson, again, was up to the task.

After walking the leadoff hitter Betemit, Wilson induced back-to-back groundballs to force a double play and game-ending groundout from Johnny Damon.

After winning back-to-back, one-run games against the Yankees in New York, the Rangers go for the, dare I say, sweep of the Yankees tomorrow.

Ex-Ranger Sidney Ponson is on the mound for the pinstripes, and youngster Luis Mendoza gets another chance to start for the Rangers.