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Mikolas, Rangers cool down Yankees

Jul 22, 2014 - 5:17 AM Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Shin-Soo Choo, Roughned Odor and Geovany Soto each had RBI singles during a three-run sixth inning that propelled the slumping Texas Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees.

The Rangers also received a needed lift from starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (1-2) to win for only the second time in their last 12 games. The right-hander held New York to just four hits and two runs over a career-best 7 1/3 innings.

Choo, Soto, Odor and Jake Smolinski each finished with two hits for Texas, which entered the opener of this three-game set 4-24 since June 17.

The Yankees, meanwhile, had as many hits as errors (five) and couldn't carry over the momentum from a three-game home sweep of Cincinnati over the weekend.

Shane Greene (2-1), responsible for three of the Yankee miscues, was dealt the loss after permitting four runs in 5 2/3 innings.

"Tonight hurts a little bit," Greene said. "I wasn't making the pitches I wanted to make."

Jacoby Ellsbury was the lone bright spot for New York, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run.

Texas wasn't able to capitalize much on the Yankees' defensive lapses early on, but its offense came alive with a two-out barrage while trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning.

Smolinski kept the frame alive with a single and Greene walked Jim Adduci to bring up Soto, who ripped a base hit to left that tied the contest and chased the Yankee starter.

Odor and Choo then greeted Matt Thornton with back-to-back run-scoring ground- ball singles to put the Rangers up 4-2.

Ellsbury had given New York a 2-1 lead in the fourth by drilling his second homer in four games, and the Yankees had a chance to extend the margin an inning afterward. Mikolas got Derek Jeter to bounce into a double play with the bases loaded, however, to preserve Texas' two-run deficit.

Mikolas, rocked for 13 earned runs in nine innings over his previous two starts, didn't allow another baserunner thereafter, setting down seven straight hitters following Jeter's twin-killing.

"I got real juiced up after that double play," Mikolas said. "It helped me focus...and I got a little bit of a second wind."

New York did put forth a mild threat in the ninth against Joakim Soria, who gave up a single to Kelly Johnson and hit Brian McCann with a pitch to put the tying run on with two outs. The Texas closer was able to get pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte to fly out harmlessly to left, though, to notch his 17th save.

The Yankees had jumped out to a quick lead, as Jeter worked a nine-pitch walk in the bottom of the first, moved to third following a balk by Mikolas and an Ellsbury infield single, then beat Leonys Martin's throw to the plate on Carlos Beltran's fly ball to center.

After failing to take advantage of a pair of Greene errors in the second, Texas drew even an inning later. Choo snapped an 0-for-22 skid with a double to right-center and was brought to third on an Elvis Andrus single before crossing the plate on Adrian Beltre's fielder's choice, in which Yankees second baseman Brian Roberts dropped Jeter's throw to the bag.

Game Notes

Soto exited the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with tightness in his right groin ... The Yankees announced before the contest that first baseman Mark Teixeira is expected to sit out the series due to a strained lat muscle ... Choo, who has been hobbled by an ankle injury, played the outfield for the first time since July 9 ... The Yankees had been 20-6 this season when leading after one inning.