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Rangers-Yankees Preview

Apr 16, 2010 - 5:06 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Texas (5-3) at New York (5-3), 7:05 p.m. EDT

This early in the season, New York manager Joe Girardi is not going to overwork CC Sabathia no matter how well he's pitching.

After flirting with a no-hitter in his last start, Sabathia looks for another strong outing when the Yankees open a weekend home series with the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Hoping to guide New York (6-3) to a second straight World Series title, Girardi isn't about to take any chances by exhausting his top pitcher two weeks into the season.

In New York's 10-0 win at Tampa Bay on Saturday, Sabathia (1-0, 3.46 ERA) had a no-hitter with two outs in the eighth inning before Kelly Shoppach singled. Having thrown 111 pitches, Sabathia was removed, and Girardi said he wouldn't have allowed his ace to face another batter even if the gem was intact.

Sabathia has thrown 215 pitches over 13 innings in two starts this season.

"Watching that pitch count go up and up and up, that was what was on my mind the most," Girardi said. "You have to think big picture. The big picture was the month of October. You have to think ahead. You can't be short-sighted."

Girardi will likely keep close tabs on Sabathia again as he makes his first start versus Texas (5-4) as a member of the Yankees. The left-hander is 7-3 with a 4.50 ERA against the Rangers.

The Yankees won their third straight series after beating Los Angeles 6-2 on Thursday. Robinson Cano hit two home runs, Derek Jeter added a solo shot and Curtis Granderson had two triples as New York won for the fourth time in five games.

Cano, who's hit safely in all nine games, is batting .395 with four home runs in 2010.

"He's seeing the ball well, he's getting his pitches and he's not missing," Girardi said.

Cano is a lifetime .325 hitter with four homers and 25 RBIs against Texas, but 2 for 9 against the Rangers' C.J. Wilson, whose start was pushed back a day due to food poisoning.

Wilson (0-0, 0.00), Texas' former closer, allowed five hits and struck out nine in seven innings of a 3-1 loss to Toronto on April 8. It was his first start since 2005.

"That's something to build on and draw from in future starts," the left-hander told the Rangers' official Web site. "That was confidence inspiring."

Wilson is 0-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen against New York, but will make his first start against the Yankees.

The Rangers look to bounce back after their three-game winning streak was snapped with a 3-2 loss at Cleveland on Thursday. Michael Young hit a two-run homer for Texas, which was held to four hits and committed three errors.

While Young, a six-time All-Star, is off to a slow start with a .194 batting average, he's hitting .417 with a home run in his last nine road games against the Yankees.

Texas went 3-3 in the Bronx last season, and was one of four teams to win a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in 2009.

"Anytime you get a chance to go to those stadiums with their history, we just get up for big teams," Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said. "If you want to be the best, we feel like we have to show them something."