Yankees 2 - 3 Rangers
Final
  for this game

Yankees take hot bats into finale with Rangers

Jul 30, 2014 - 2:42 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Yankees enjoyed a rare offensive outburst on Tuesday. Hiroki Kuroda hopes for similar support when the Yankees close a three-game series with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park.

New York scored in double digits for the first time since April 24, as Brett Gardner homered and went 4-for-5, while Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, Zoilo Almonte and Brendan Ryan each drove in a pair in the Yankees' wild 12-11 win.

The Yankees, who scored seven runs in the sixth inning, overcame a career night from J.P. Arencibia, who went 4-for-5 with seven RBI and two home runs, including a grand slam that pulled Texas within 10-8 in the seventh inning.

The Rangers made things real interesting in the ninth, as they scored twice off of closer David Robertson to pull within a run.

"We didn't quit, we kept fighting," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We didn't and we just kept going. When you keep believing good things happen. We were just one swing away from winning the ball game."

Robertson, though, got Adrian Beltre to fly out with the bases loaded to end the game and record his 27th save.

"I feel like the luckiest guy for escaping that inning as bad as I pitched," Robertson said.

The Yankees had scored at least nine runs five times in their first 33 games, but they'd scored that many just once in 72 games leading into Tuesday.

Gardner, whose 13 home runs are second on the Yankees, is 7-for-10 with five extra-base hits in the series. His last four home runs have come against Texas, three off Yu Darvish, including Monday's two-homer game.

Kuroda can only hope that support continues on Tuesday, as he tries to win his third straight decision. Kuroda beat the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, but was not sharp, as he surrendered four runs in 5 2/3 innings, but still improved to 7-6 to go along with a 3.99 ERA.

Texas, meanwhile, will counter with righty Colby Lewis, who has lost his last three starts. Lewis lost to the Yankees on Thursday, as he gave up three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 frames to fall to 6-8 with a 6.23 ERA.

"I feel like this is the best I have felt all year," Lewis said. "I feel like I'm pretty strong. ... There is no more soreness in my hip, and no more soreness in my elbow. It's about going out there and getting it done."

Lewis has never beaten the Yankees and is 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA in four starts.

The Yankees won three of four versus the Rangers last week.






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