Rangers Walkoff Cuts Bombers Lead To 1/2 Game

These nights are going to happen; when Mariano Rivera will be human. You just wish they wouldn't happen on nights when the Yankees offense was short handed and short on big hits. On nights when the Yankees have won only 3 of 7 coming in. But they do and tonight was one of them. Texas used three singles, none of them hit hard, and an intentional walk to beat the Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings.

Alex Rodriguez had forced the extra frame with his 601st career home run in the 8th, but the Yankees failed to take the lead despite opportunities in two of the final three innings.

Michael Young beat Derek Jeter's throw to first for an infield single to start the 10th and Josh Hamilton followed with a bouncer through the right side to put two men aboard.

A-Rod temporarily saved the day when he made a diving stop of a Vlad Guerrero ground out and threw out the big DH at 1st base. Rivera intentionally walked Nelson Cruz to load the bases and quickly fell behind David Murphy 3-0. The Yankees closer came back to get the count full, but then left a cutter up in the zone that Murphy laced to right for the game winning RBI.

A.J. Burnett bounced back from his rough outing against Toronto last week and back spams that pushed his start back three days, but gave up a go ahead 2-run blast to Murphy in the 6th.

The Yankees had pushed two runs across the board in 5.1 innings against Rangers starter C.J. Wilson, but it took Rodriguez's 18th home run of the year off of Frank Francisco to even things up. The Yankees, with a starting lineup missing Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, had a chance to do further damage in the inning when Austin Kearns drew a walk and pinch-runner Curtis Granderson advanced to 2nd base on a wild pitch.

Granderson moved to 3rd on Lance Berkman's fly out, but Francisco Cervelli lined out softly to 1st and Brett Gardner grounded out to short.

The Yankees also had a chance in the 9th against Rangers closer Neftali Feliz. Robinson Cano, who entered the game in the 6th as a pinch-hitter, led off the inning with a single. That's when the Yankees luck ran out. With the hit and run on, Derek Jeter bounced a ball to the right side that Cano had to hold up on to avoid being out for interference. He might as well have been as the bouncer turned into a back breaking 4-6-3 double play.

Notes

Mark Teixeira will miss the conclusion of the series on Wednesday as well. He was with his wife Leigh for the birth of their third child, William Charles.

Robinson Cano sat out the start of the game with a bad cold.

Home plate ump Mike Estabrook was a thorn in the Yankees side all night. He reversed a safe call on Lance Berkman in the early going and had a moving strike zone, especially when Brett Gardner was up. Joe Girardi was so incensed after the call reversal (even though it was the right call), that bench coach Tony Pena came out to usher him off the field.