Sidney Ponson Rights the Ship, Yanks Finally Beat Rangers

On the same day Joba Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis, Sidney Ponson, of all people, established himself as the most consistent thing going in the Yankees' rotation right now.

Ponson turned in his second consecutive quality start, surrendering just three runs on six hits over 6.1 innings, leading New York to a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers.

With Joba out for at least two weeks, the Yanks are going to need other pitchers to step up.  Ponson did his job Wednesday; Dan Giese and Ian Kennedy get their shot this weekend against the Los Angeles Angels.

Here are the grades from the Yanks' first victory over the Rangers in this series.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (A-) The skipper did a good job getting a call reversed in the second inning when Gerald Laird's line out to Robinson Cano was initially called a trap.

I was, however, slightly puzzled when Girardi let Ponson start the seventh, but then pulled him after he retired the first better.  In the end, though, the manager did a satisfactory job utilizing four relievers to get the final eight outs.  Goose Gossage just rolled his eyes.

Johnny Damon, CF-LF: (A) Damon went 2-5 with a run, an RBI and a steal.

Derek Jeter, SS: (A+) The Captain needs to start having more games like this.  He went 2-4 with a double, a walk and two runs batted in.

Bobby Abreu, RF: (A) I don't get how some people could want Abreu to only DH.  Bobby picked up his ninth outfield assist when he threw a strike to Ivan Rodriguez to nail David Murphy at the plate.  Abreu is second among AL right fielders in that category.  He also went 2-5.

Alex Rodriguz, 3B: (D-) A-Rod is slumping.  He stranded a runner at third with less than two outs in the fifth, when he grounded into an innning-ending double play.  Rodriguez did, however, advance a runner to third with less than two outs with a long fly ball in the eighth but...

Jason Giambi, 1B: (B) Giambi grounded back to the pitcher to strand Abreu at third.  The Yankees need to do a much better job getting that runner home from third with less than two outs.  Those are wasted runs that really come back to haunt you in one-run losses.  Giambi did hit a solo homer in the game, though.

Xavier Nady, LF: (C) Nady continued to contribute, going 1-4 with a double.  I don't understand Girardi pulling him for defensive purposes in the ninth, though.  It should've been Damon pulled instead because he has a weaker arm.  Plus, Nady would've been due up third in the tenth, while Damon had just batted.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (C) Cano went 1-4 with a run and a strikeout.

Ivan Rodriguez, C: (A) Pudge had to leave the game with a bruised knee after a collision at home plate that ended the second inning.  Great job by Rodriguez blocking the plate and getting the out.  Jorge Posada would've probably been three feet up the line attempting a swipe tag.

Wilson Betemit, 3B: (B-) Betemit got the start at third in place of A-Rod who was the DH and made an impact with an RBI double and a run scored.

Richie Sexson, 1B: (INC) Sexson came in for defensive purposes in the eighth and nearly caused a catastrophe when he dove and deflected a Josh Hamilton ground ball.  Luckily, the ball went right to Cano, who threw to the Damaso Marte covering to get the out.

Melky Cabrera, CF: (INC) He got to watch a little baseball from field level in the ninth.

Jose Molina, C: (A) The best backup catcher in baseball went 2-4 with a run in place of the injured Pudge.

Sidney Ponson, SP: (B-) He again got in and out of trouble and put the Yankees in position to win the game.

Edwar Ramirez, RP: (B) His 14th scoreless appearance in his last 15 outings.

Damaso Marte, RP: (B) Got Josh Hamilton to ground out to lower his ERA as a Yankee to a microscopic 10.80.

Jose Veras, RP: (B) Girardi used Joe Torre's old "the more the merrier" philosophy with the bullpen in this game.

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A) He entered with no one on and retired three of the four guys in the bottom of the Texas order before giving up two runs.  Legendary.

Yankees Overall Grade: (B+) They're pretty much all must-wins at this point, but especially Wednesday night when New York knew that Tampa Bay and Boston had already won.  They have to win Mike Mussina's start Thursday to split the Texas series before hopefully pulling a rabbit out of a hat to take two of three in Anaheim.

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com.  Jordan can be reached at [e-mail].