Double plays help Texas Rangers defeat New York Yankees 5-3 – MLB Update
Texas Rangers shined in the field making six double plays (DPs) as they defeated New York Yankees 5-3 at Yankees Stadium, New York on Friday, April 15.
The Rangers won the game with full contribution from pitching as Matt Harrison in his third start paved the foundation to victory. He pitched eight innings, allowed just two runs and three walks while striking-out three batters. Harrison also started two
double plays himself by grabbing grounders hit back to the mound. It might have become an error but short-stop Elvis Andrus saved Harrison by jumping high to hitch the throws.
"That was kind of dicey," Harrison said. "The first one ... when I let that go, I thought it was going into centre field. The second one was only a little lower."
In a stadium packed with spectators, the first six sluggers of New York bounced into DPs including veteran Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Andruw Jones. It started in the first inning when Alex grounded into a
double play with Jeter at second and Nick Swisher at first base. The same kept happening in later innings except the second and last two.
Andrus was surprised when told that Texas tied the record for DPs. Andrus said, “When you get in those situations, you just have to make plays. They hit a ground ball right at you that is what you are supposed to do. You've got to help your pitcher when
he's doing a great job and painting like that."
The Yankees remained helpless in all forms of the game. Ivan Nova making his second start for the Yankees allowed five runs and walked five while striking-out just three batters in just over four innings. The Yankees played 31 at-bats and managed just nine
hits that also include a homer by Curtis Granderson in the eighth inning. Eric Chavez added an RBI in the ninth but it was not enough to beat the five-run lead.
David Murphy led off the game for the Rangers with a RBI single and Michael Young added two RBI singles as Kinsler added one run in fifth innings to achieve 4-1. David Robertson, who relieved Nova in the fifth, denoted the fifth run with a wild pitch.
It will be interesting to see how the Rangers carry their winning momentum into their next match-up. The Yankees put in a decent performance, but it was not enough to contain the Rangers’ offence.
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