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Yankees-Rangers Preview

May 25, 2009 - 11:32 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

New York (25-19) at Texas (26-17), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees have already been playing well. They can only imagine how much better things can get if Alex Rodriguez really gets untracked.

After a spectacular performance in the series opener, Rodriguez looks to torment his former team again Tuesday night when the Yankees continue a three-game road series against the Texas Rangers.

In his first game at Texas since admitting that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his tenure with the Rangers (26-18) from 2001-03, Rodriguez went 5 for 5 with four RBIs in an 11-1 victory Monday. It was his fifth career five-hit game, and second with the Yankees (26-19).

"Texas is a place that has been really good to me," Rodriguez said. "I have a lot of respect for the ownership here. I have a lot of good friends."

Booed throughout the contest by the sellout crowd, Rodriguez entered with just 10 hits in 53 at-bats (.189) in his first 16 games since missing the first five weeks of the season after hip surgery. The superstar slugger was hitless in 14 at-bats at Texas last season before doubling twice and singling three times Monday.

New York has won 11 of its last 13 games after finishing with a season-high 19 hits Monday. Former Ranger Mark Teixeira, who was also booed, had two hits and scored three runs while Johnny Damon also scored three times.

"We're Yankees, we get booed everywhere. It's great. That means people care," Teixeira said. "When you come into a visiting ballpark first game of a series, you want to make a statement."

The Rangers had their eight-game home winning streak snapped as they managed only four hits and were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

"We didn't execute when we had a chance with runners on ... We've been getting hits when we needed to, and we didn't today," Texas outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "That made it tough."

Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz homered for one of his two hits. Cruz is 11 for 24 with five homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games.

The Yankees will send Joba Chamberlain to the mound Tuesday after receiving a major scare in his last start.

Chamberlain (2-1, 3.70 ERA) was hit by a line drive off the bat of Baltimore's Adam Jones on Thursday in the first inning. The next two Orioles singled before the Yankees took him out, but the right-hander appears to be fine.

"I'm 100 percent confident," he said. "Did some tests and it felt fine, a little stiff obviously but that's just going to be the way it is."

Chamberlain got through his throwing session Sunday without any pain. He made two starts against Texas last season, going 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA.

Kevin Millwood (4-4, 3.12) returns to the mound after going the distance his last time out. He pitched a six-hitter Thursday in a 4-3 loss at Detroit - Millwood's second complete-game loss this season.

The veteran right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.46 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees. Millwood has allowed New York's Nick Swisher to hit .400 (10 for 25) against him with three homers and seven RBIs.

Rodriguez is 6 for 16 with one homer and two RBIs lifetime versus Millwood.