Wang Pitches Yankees Past Sliding Rangers

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Jorge Posada followed up a memorable game with two more RBI, and Chien-Ming Wang pitched the Yankees past the Texas Rangers 4-3 last night. Robinson Cano and Bernie Williams each added a run-scoring single for the Yankees, coming off a stunning comeback Tuesday night.

They rallied from 9-0 down behind Posada, who hit a game-winning, tworun homer with two outs in the ninth inning and withstood a violent collision at the plate in a 14-13 victory – matching the biggest comeback in team history.

Posada singled twice last night and reached base safely in all four plate appearances. The All-Star catcher has seven RBI in the past two games.

Wang (4-1) tossed eight efficient innings again to win his third straight start, allowing six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Featuring a sharp sinking fastball, he threw only 81 pitches and got 17 of his 24 outs on grounders.

Gary Matthews Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Texas, cutting it to 4-3. Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.

The Yankees broke a 1-all tie with five consecutive two-out hits off Kameron Loe in a three-run fifth and beat the Rangers for the 10th time in 11 meetings dating to last season.

Wang beat Oakland 2-0 last Friday night (getting 20 outs on grounders) and went 15 innings without allowing an earned run before Matthews hit his third homer of the season.

The right-hander also defeated the Rangers 8-5 in Texas on May 7 and hasn’t lost in five starts since April 21 against Baltimore.

Loe was coming off his first career complete game, a 6-0 victory in Boston that was shortened to 5 1/2 innings because of rain. He gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings this time.

Kevin Mench had an RBI single for the Rangers.

New York made three errors, two by second baseman Robinson Cano.

Posada got a standing ovation before his first at-bat in the first and looped a two-out RBI single to left, scoring Derek Jeter.

Wang escaped a first-and-third, none-out jam in the third when Matthews lined out to third and Michael Young grounded into a 1-4-3 double play.

Cano’s first error led to Mench’s tying RBI single in the fourth.

Jason Giambi, who sat out Tuesday night with a stiff neck, doubled with two outs in the fifth and scored on Posada’s single. Cano and Williams followed with RBI singles for a 4-1 lead.

Also yesterday, Carl Pavano left his rehabilitation start for Double-A Trenton against Portland after one inning because of tightness in his right triceps. He was to be evaluated today at Yankee Stadium.


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