Yanks on a roll, swat Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas - Derek Jeter is hitting the way he did in his prime, and CC Sabathia looks more like his old self with each outing.
No wonder the Yankees are starting to get on a roll.
Jeter had four hits to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games, Sabathia pitched a season-high eight innings, and Alex Rodriguez belted a three-run homer in New York's 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday.
"I keep kidding him that it's like 1999 again - three hits every day. He's amazing," Rodriguez said of the 37-year-old Jeter.
"He's playing like he's 25," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's off to a great start. He feels good physically, and that's the most important thing."
The Yankees have won 10 of 13 since being swept in three games at Tampa Bay to start the season.
Sabathia (2-0) struck out eight for his 11th career win against the two-time defending American League champion Rangers, who won their first five series this season.
The big lefty was pitching with an extra day of rest after the Yankees' scheduled series finale at Boston was rained out Sunday, a day after New York overcame a 9-0 deficit for a 15-9 win over the Red Sox.
After a pair of six-inning outings with no-decisions to start the season, Sabathia has won his last two starts.
"That's more CC-like. That's what we're used to seeing," Girardi said. "I liked what I saw those last four innings against the Twins, and he carried it over today."
Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Josh Hamilton homered for the Rangers.
Derek Holland (2-1) has never beaten the Yankees. He gave up seven runs and nine hits with four walks and one strikeout in six innings.
Holland is 0-5 with a 9.26 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against New York.
AROUND THE MAJORS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
■ Red Sox 6, Twins 5 - At Minneapolis, Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh and hitting a tiebreaking solo shot off Matt Capps with two outs in the ninth as Boston beat Minnesota to snap a five-game losing streak.
■ White Sox 4, Athletics 0 - At Oakland, Calif., Jake Peavy (3-0) threw a three-hitter, and Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko hit back-to-back homers to lift Chicago.
■ Blue Jays 4, Royals 1 - At Kansas City, Mo., Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, and Toronto gained its fifth straight victory while bumping the Royals' losing streak to 11, including a winless 10-game homestand. Kansas City became the first team to lose its first 10 at home since the 1994 Chicago Cubs lost 12 in a row.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
■ Dodgers 7, Braves 2 - At Los Angeles, Juan Uribe tied a career high with four hits and drove in three runs, and Chris Capuano (2-0) pitched out of trouble for seven innings for the Dodgers.
■ Giants 6-7, Mets 1-2 - At New York, Madison Bumgarner (3-1) pitched seven neat innings, Pablo Sandoval homered to push his season-opening hitting streak to 16 games, and San Francisco swept the Mets. The Giants took the opener as Tim Lincecum (1-2) posted his first win despite another uneven performance.
■ Diamondbacks 9, Phillies 5 - At Phoenix, Justin Upton burst out of a slow start with two RBIs, including his first homer, and lefty Wade Miley (2-0) fanned seven and held the Phillies to two hits through six scoreless innings.
■ Brewers 6, Astros 5 - At Milwaukee, Ryan Braun homered among his three hits, and Zack Greinke (2-1) struck out nine in six solid innings to raise his career record at Miller Park to 13-0.
■ Cubs 3, Cardinals 2 - At Chicago, Joe Mather's two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning capped the Cubs' rally.
■ Rockies at Pirates, ppd., rain - At Pittsburgh, the game was called off six hours before the scheduled start and will be made up Wednesday as part of a doubleheader at 9:35 a.m.
