Texas Rangers

Rangers give up late lead in loss to Yankees

Published Jun. 29, 2016 11:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brian McCann hit a tying, three-run homer off Sam Dyson, Didi Gregorius capped a six-run ninth inning with his two-run shot and the New York Yankees woke up late to beat the Texas Rangers 9-7 Wednesday night.

Down 7-2 and in danger of falling 10 games behind AL East-leading Baltimore, the Yankees began their comeback when McCann hit a solo homer off Cesar Ramos in the eighth.

Rob Refsnyder singled off Matt Bush leading off the ninth, Jacoby Ellsbury walked and Dyson (1-2) relieved.

Brett Gardner singled and Refsnyder came home when center fielder Ian Desmond bobbled the ball for an error. After Alex Rodriguez lined out, McCann homered into the right-field bleachers, Starlin Castro walked and Gregorius lined the ball into the right-field seats for his first career game-ending homer.

Luis Cessa (1-0) allowed one run in three innings for his first big league win.

With slugger Carlos Beltran sitting out because of a hamstring injury, Rodriguez went 0 for 5 with a double-play grounder. Fans booed when he grounded out in the eighth.

Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings, raising his ERA to 3.35. Rangers starter Nick Martinez allowed two runs, three hits and five walks in five-plus innings and threw just 38 of 84 pitches for strikes.

Nomar Mazara, a 21-year-old rookie who is the youngest position player in the majors, was in a 10-for-56 slide before his three-run double in the third. Mazara scored on Prince Fielder's single off a diving Rob Refsnyder at first for a 5-1 lead.

Rougned Odor added his 15th homer in the sixth, an opposite-field drive to left, and Adrian Beltre hit an opposite-field homer to right in the eighth off Cessa.

Chase Headley homered in the second and hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth off Ramos, who entered with two on and no outs.

GOLD GLOVE

Beltre, a four-time Glove Glove third baseman, made a nice stab on Rodriguez's short-hop grounder to his left in the first inning and threw to second, starting a double play.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish threw 46 pitches in a simulated game and could return to the rotation shortly after the All-Star break. Sidelined by shoulder discomfort since a June 8 outing against Houston, Darvish threw all his pitches during the three-inning game. If he feels OK on Thursday, he probably will make a minor league rehab start early next week.

Yankees: After leaving Tuesday's game in the first inning with a tight right hamstring, Beltran probably won't be available through at least Thursday, according to manager Joe Girardi. ... McCann grabbed his left knee while rounding first and limped around the bases on his homer in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Michael Pineda (3-7) starts Thursday's series finale against RHP A.J. Griffin (3-0). Pineda is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last four starts. Griffin returned from a stint on the DL caused by shoulder soreness and allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings against Boston last Saturday.