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Rangers, Yankees battle for series victory

Apr 25, 2012 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - The red-hot Texas Rangers eye a series win this evening when they play the rubber match of their three-game series with the New York Yankees at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

After losing Monday's opener, Yu Darvish stifled New York's potent lineup, as he struck out 10 over 8 1/3 scoreless innings in the Rangers' 2-0 win.

Darvish (3-0) scattered seven hits and two walks while Ian Kinsler smacked a solo home run for the Rangers, who improved to 14-4 on the season.

"He just keeps getting better each time he takes the ball. Tonight, he used everything he had against that team and he had to with the type of hitters they were," Rangers manager Ron Washington said about Darvish.

Hiroki Kuroda (1-3) suffered the loss despite allowing two runs on five hits and two walks through 6 2/3 innings.

Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano had two hits apiece for New York, which had its six-game road winning streak stopped.

Jeter, who is hitting .416, continues to thrive early on, as he is riding a 14-gamne hitting streak and his 10 multi-hit games this season are the most of any AL player. He has gone hitless in just one game this season and his 32 hits are closing in on his April-high of 35.

He has six hits this series, and is 13-for-24 in his last six games in Arlington.

Tonight, Scott Feldman will try to slow down the future Hall of Famer, as he makes a spot start thanks to last Saturday's doubleheader with Detroit. Feldman has made two relief appearances this season and has not allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of those outings.

"Hopefully, he can get us through four or five innings, and then we can get something out of the bullpen," said Washington. "If things don't go astray [Tuesday], everybody will be available. We've just got to get it done. I'm hoping he can take the ball and stay out there awhile."

Feldman has faced the Yankees six times (four starts) and is 3-2 with a 4.76 ERA.

New York, meanwhile, will counter with righty Phil Hughes, who has dominated the Rangers over the course of his young career, going 2-0, while allowing just three hits in 15 1/3 scoreless innings against them.

Hughes, though, has been awful in three starts for the Yankees, posting a 1-2 mark to go along with a 6.75 ERA. He did, however, pick up a win on Thursday against Minnesota, as he allowed six runs (two earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 frames.

The Yankees won seven of their nine meetings with the Rangers last season. In fact, since 2002, the Yankees are the only American League team with a winning record against Texas in Arlington, going 26-15 in that building during that span.