Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Sidney Ponson allowed three runs over 6.1 innings as the Yankees bounced back from two straight losses to Texas to win 5-3 and aim for a series split tonight.
With the win, the Yanks are 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the wild card and Texas is 2.5 games back behind the Yankees.
Hopefully for the Yankees, Ponson can continue his reliable pitching with Joba Chamberlain on the 15-day disabled list.
Mariano Rivera recorded his 27th save in 27 save chances. He hasn't pitched since Friday because of back spasms, but struck out Brandon Boggs and Gerald Laird and got Ramon Vazquez to ground out after a two-out single by Chris Davis.
It was just the Yankees' fourth win in their last 11 games.
There was a scary moment for the Yankees. With two out and two on, leadoff man and Ranger second basemen Ian Kinsler hit a line drive single to right. Outfielder David Murphy was thinking "home" the whole way.
Yankee right fielder Bobby Abreu gunned him down, but Murphy was going to go down swinging. Murphy powered into new Yanks catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Murphy and Rodriguez both left the game and didn't return.
The news isn't terrible for the Yanks: Rodriguez may miss tonight's game, but should be ready for the game after. But it's bad for Texas: Murphy, who has 15 homers and 74 RBI, should be out for almost a month.
With Chien Ming Wang and Chamberlain out, the Yanks were desperate for a good pitching performance, which is what they got.
Despite losing 5-3, Texas took an early lead. In the second, Chris Davis lined a single to left, scoring both Marlon Byrd and Josh Hamilton. The Yankees, being the offensive power they are, responded.
In the third, Wilson Betemit, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter all had RBI. Derek Jeter's RBI was a single and gave the Yankees the lead for good.
New York scored in the fourth and fifth on a Giambi homer and on a Jeter double. The only run for the rest of the game was in the sixth when Michael Young hit his 10th home run of the season.
Hopefully, the Yanks can get some consistent pitching until Joba comes back and continue to hit better than they were.
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