• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Young victimizes Rivera as Rangers down Yankees

Jul 2, 2008 - 4:00 AM By Zachary Braziller PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees' inability to score runs is becoming a problem, and the Texas Rangers are taking advantage.

Kevin Millwood hurled five strong innings as the Rangers also got four impressive innings from their bullpen to take their second straight from the Yankees, 3-2, at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

Michael Young had the go-ahead RBI single and Ian Kinsler had two hits, three steals and scored the eventual winning run for Texas, which improved to three games over .500 for the first time in two years after winning its third straight.

"We always try to come into a series like this with a chip on our shoulders," Baltimore closer C.J. Wilson said. "Everybody writes us off in these games. We try to play with a grudge and come up with a few wins."

Kinsler extended to a 14-game hitting streak in the ninth, ripping a leadoff double off Mariano Rivera (2-3). After stealing third, he scored on Young's RBI single up the middle past a drawn-in infield.

"We wanted to stay aggressive and take chances," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "With Rivera, you want to get as close to home as you possibly can."

Righthander Frank Francisco (2-2) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning and Wilson notched his 19th save in 21 opportunities, pitching around a leadoff walk.

Wilson walked Wilson Betemit on four pitches, but the struggling Melky Cabrera did not bunt and grounded into a double play. Johnny Damon ended the game by grounding out to first.

The Yankees got five shutout innings of one-hit relief in support of a wild Joba Chamberlain but couldn't deliver any clutch hits. They stranded runners in all but two innings, leaving eight all together. They now have lost three in a row, scoring just four runs in the process.

"It's baseball, you got to give their pitchers credit," Chamberlain said. "It's just a matter of time. We got a lot of good hitters on this team."

Robinson Cano continued his recent hot streak, driving in the Yankees' first run, and Betemit, who filled in at shortstop for Derek Jeter - who was given a rare night off - tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth.

In his shortest outing since he was restricted because of pitch count, Chamberlain wasn't sharp, throwing 47 pitches over the first two frames and 24 more in the third. He only went four innings, allowing five hits and two runs while walking four and striking out six.

"It was one of those days you battle and get your team as far as you can," Chamberlain said. "It's something you learn from and try to get better from it."

Chamberlain gave up two runs in the second on consecutive run-scoring hits from Chris Davis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He worked around trouble in his two others innings, striking out Milton Bradley and David Murphy and getting Marlon Byrd to fly out to center field to strand two Rangers on base.

He left two more in the fourth, getting Young to line out to right with two outs.

New York, however, continued to struggle offensively. It wasted a pair doubles by Damon in the first three innings and numerous other chances.

Millwood departed after five innings, leaving with a one-run lead, having struck out six and given up five hits and one run.

His replacement, righthander Josh Rupe, didn't fare nearly as well. After retiring the first two Yankees in the sixth, he was touched up for three consecutive singles, including Betemit's game-tying hit to the opposite field.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, it was the last time they scored against the Rangers' bullpen, continuing their growing trend.

"We get some opportunities, we just don't execute as much as other teams," Damon said. "It's why we haven't won a bunch of one-run games. It's not one guy, it's our whole ballclub."