Rangers 5 - 6 Yankees
Final
  for this game

Yanks, CC go after series win against upstart Ogando in Bronx

Apr 17, 2011 - 2:30 PM

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(Sports Network) - New York Yankees lefty CC Sabathia is off to a fabulous start this season, but Texas' Alexi Ogando has been even better, not allowing a run over his first two starts.

The two get a chance to shine tonight when New York hosts the Rangers in the rubber match of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia has allowed just four earned runs in three starts this season and has a 1.45 ERA. That's his lowest ERA after his first three starts of a season since posting a 0.92 mark in 2005 with Cleveland. He's coming off a game in which he scattered nine hits and allowed an unearned run over 5 2/3 innings of a 4-0 loss at Boston a week ago.

The Yankees hope Sabathia has the same magic he had in a start almost exactly a year ago in the Bronx against the Rangers. In that April 16, 2010 game the burly southpaw struck out six straight batters and threw six strong innings in a 5-1 win. He's 8-3 in 14 lifetime starts against the Rangers.

As for Ogando, he's making a strong transition from reliever to starter. In his first two appearance on this mound this season, the 27-year-old righty has allowed four hits in 13 shutout innings. This will be his fifth appearance (1st start) against the Yankees.

On Saturday, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano both hit a two- run homer to back six shutout innings from Freddy Garcia in a 5-2 New York victory.

Garcia (1-0), who signed a minor league contract in the offseason, made his first start for the Yankees and limited Texas to two hits and a walk.

Teixeira went 2-for-3 and finished with three RBI overall for the Yankees, who dropped the opener of this three-game set -- a rematch of the 2010 ALCS -- on Friday.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez left the game after the sixth inning with low back and oblique stiffness. He is questionable for tonight's affair.

"I actually just felt it more on my swings," Rodriguez said. "I was just kind of swinging weakly today, trying to protect it a little bit. Hopefully tomorrow it will get a little better."

Derek Holland (2-1) took the loss after allowing all five Yankees runs on eight hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings. David Murphy had two hits for Texas, which has dropped three of four.

Texas and New York split eight regular season meetings last year, while the Rangers swept a three-game series in Arlington from Sept. 10-12. New York took all three meetings in the Bronx from April 16-18.






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