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(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Yankees game 106: A win is a win

(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

New York Yankees 12 — Texas Rangers 11

Every run matters in a win like tonight.

Against Rangers starter Nick Martinez, Brett Gardner carried the home run swing from yesterday into tonight. He led off tonight’s game with a solo home run and put the Yankees on the board early. Derek Jeter would follow with a single and Mark Teixeira‘s return to the starting lineup started with a walk but the one run was all they could muster.

The third out would be a key problem in the one bad inning for Brandon McCarthy.

After keeping the Rangers off the board in the first two innings, the third inning would start with two easy outs. Alex Rios would hit a single and start a two-out rally that would end with the Yankees trailing. Adrian Beltre and Jim Adduci would hit a pair of singles and the Rangers were on the board. J.P. Arencibia would begin the start of an outstanding night with a two-run double that put the Rangers ahead by two.

Arencibia got the Yankees once again with a solo home run in the fifth inning but McCarthy gave the Yankees a good start in an admittedly not favorable ballpark. In six innings, Brandon McCarthy allowed four runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out three.

The Yankees offense would erupt in the sixth inning and gave McCarthy a chance to win.

Of course, Brett Gardner would start the sixth inning with an extra-base hit, his third of the night was a double to right field. A key instant replay call turned a ground out to shortstop by Derek Jeter into an infield single when Arencibia was pulled off of first base. Mark Teixeira would walk for a second time to load the bases and Carlos Beltran hit a two-run single to right field. Brian McCann would tie the game with a sacrifice fly to center field and the Yankees were rallying.

Nick Martinez would be replaced by Shawn Tolleson but the Yankees would not let up.

Zoilo Almonte would welcome Tolleson with a single to center field that scored Beltran and gave the Yankees the lead. Defensive wizard (who had an error) and usually offensively challenged Brendan Ryan would join the fun with a double to center field over the head of Leonys Martin and giving the Yankees a three-run lead. A strange defensive error involving a missed catch and a Canseco-like deflection off Martin’s head allowed Ryan to score and the Yankees were ahead by four.

The offense would keep it up in the seventh inning against Roman Mendez. Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira would walk and Carlos Beltran would hit a single to load the bases with no outs. One out later, Chase Headley would hit a single to right field and the Yankees increased their lead to five. A ground out by Zoilo Almonte would make it a 10-4 game.

A six-run lead and the Yankees were going to their strength, the bullpen. What could go wrong? Can you say, almost everything?

The first reliever out of the bullpen would be Adam Warren. The first two batters would reach as Elvis Andrus walked and Alex Rios hit a single to right field. A rundown would get the lead runner out but a walk to Adduci would end a poor night for Adam Warren. Dellin Betances would take over an unenviable task. With the bases loaded and just one out, J.P. Arencibia would take advantage of a 97 mph fastball and hit a deep grand slam to make it a seven RBI game and more importantly, a two-run game.

Leonys Martin followed the grand slam with a triple but Betances would shut it down with a pair of strikeouts around a walk and the lead (somehow) remained intact.

Against lefty reliever Neal Cotts, Brett Gardner would reach base for the fifth time, with a single. Two outs later, Mark Teixeira would hit a two-run home run to put the Yankees ahead by four. The 18th home run of the season for Teixeira would be very important insurance runs by the end of tonight’s game.

The Rangers made it a three-run game in the eighth inning off of Chase Whitley with one run scoring so David Robertson would be called on for the ninth inning save.

David Robertson would start the ninth inning by striking out the immortal Arencibia. Leonys martin would hit a single and Robinson Chirinos would walk to put two on with one out. Rougned Odor would ground out but the third out would be a problem. Shin-Soo Choo would walk and Elvis Andrus would hit a single to score two runs, making it a one-run game. Alex Rios would walk with two on to load the bases for the best hitter on the Rangers lineup, Adrian Beltre. Robertson would get ahead early against Beltre but the count would become full before Beltre flew out to deep left field, just short of the warning track to Brett Gardner.

The unnecessarily stressful game snapped the three-game losing streak.

Some additional notes about tonight’s game:

*The last time that the Yankees scored double digit runs was April 24, 83 games between double digit scoring games.

*Eight of nine Yankees batters scored a run tonight. Seven of nine Yankees batters got a hit. Three had multiple hits and four had multiple runs batted in.

*This is the first time this season that both Dellin Betances and David Robertson surrendered runs in back-to-back games.

 

Win – Brandon McCarthy (6-10)

Loss – Nick Martinez (1-7)

Save – David Robertson (27)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Brett Gardner – 4 for 5, 3 R, 2 2B, Solo Home Run (12) in the 1st, RBI (46)

*Mark Teixeira – 1 for 2, 3 R, 3 BB, 2-Run Home Run (18) in the 8th, 2 RBI (50)

Rangers

*J.P. Arencibia – 4 for 5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 HR (6; Solo & Grand Slam) in the 5th & 7th, 7 RBI (22)

*Elvis Andrus – 3 for 5, R, BB, 2 RBI (27)

 

Current Yankees Record: 55-51