Rangers Roll Over Yankees
NEW YORK — The Texas Rangers are confident about winning every time they take the field. Give Cole Hamels any kind of lead, their optimism increases significantly.
Hamels pitched seven shutout innings, Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Texas Rangers rolled to a 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees.
Hamels won his ninth straight road decision since Aug. 15 and has a 1.97 ERA during the streak after allowing six singles. Half of those singles did not leave the infield and the other hits did little damage as Hamels quickly won his fourth straight start and reached nine wins this quickly for the first time since 2012.
The left-hander had the advantage of pitching with a lead only nine pitches in.
Roughly 17 hours after getting the go-ahead two-run single in the series opening victory, Beltre sent a 2-1 pitch off CC Sabathia (5-5) into the right field seats.
“Mentally you don’t have to grind as much,” Hamels said of getting a lead so early. “At the same time I’m trying to pitch as deep as I possibly can, trying to put as many zeroes as I can because they do have some tremendous hitters and everybody knows each
one of those guys’ names. They’re pretty good. So you just have to be cautious at times and obviously just keep executing.”
Beltre’s 11th home run stood as the only runs for Texas until a five-run eighth aided by Yankee sloppiness. Beltre, pinch hitter Nomar Mazara, Rougned Odor and Jurickson Profar had RBI singles while Prince Fielder added a run-scoring double.
“Obviously with Cole on the mound, having our horse, you just got to get a couple of runs up there,” Texas catcher Bobby Wilson said. “And A.B. (Beltre) hitting a home run in the first was a real big boost for us.”
Beltre drove in his third run with a single that took a high hop and went under third baseman Chase Headley. Fielder followed with a double to right field on a ball that eluded a diving attempt by first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Mazara batted for Ryan Rua and followed with a single to left just out of shortstop Didi Gregorius’ reach, Odor singled up the middle and Profar reached on an infield single when Gregorius made a rushed throw after Headley cut in front of him.
“We know that if we can get him a lead he pitches very well from in front,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “He controls the game. He manages the game very well. It allows us an opportunity, we’re able to make it through that game only using two guys out of the bullpen. He allows this offense to gain the confidence and kind of grind away until we can put multiple runs on the board.”
By then, Hamels had easily finished off his third scoreless outing. The last hit was a two-out single by Rob Refsnyder in the fifth and Hamels closed out his start by retiring the final seven hitters on 21 pitches.
Hamels’ latest win and Beltre’s second big hit of Tuesday gave the Rangers eight straight road wins and 29 in their last 37 overall.
The Yankees lost their third straight game and dropped back to two games below .500 at 37-39. Alex Rodriguez drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth but struck out twice in three at-bats against Hamels.
“I’m going to say it again, we need to win games,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “And this homestand has not went the way we wanted it so far and we need to turn it around.”
New York also lost Carlos Beltran to right hamstring tightness in the first after he singled. Beltran had an MRI, the Yankees said he cramped up and he is day-to-day.
Sabathia allowed six runs and eight hits in seven-plus innings.
“Just a frustrating night, obviously that eighth inning you know getting the balls that I wanted,” Sabathia said. “If I can either make the play or get out of the way I have a double play right there, so it was just frustrating in that last inning.”
