Yanks rally, score 21 runs in rout of Rangers
ARLINGTON -- The Yankees escaped an early hole in a hurry, rounding the bases repeatedly in an 11-run second inning and scoring 21 unanswered runs as they celebrated a wild 21-5 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park.
Chris Young hit a grand slam, Didi Gregorius notched a career-high four hits and Brendan Ryan doubled twice to drive in three runs as the Yankees pounded Texas pitching for 19 hits. The Rangers did not manage a hit off relievers Diego Moreno and Adam Warren, who combined for 8 1/3 scoreless frames, with Moreno earning the win and Warren picking up the save. It was the most runs the Yankees have scored in a game since they scored 22 vs. the A's on Aug. 25, 2011.
"It was fun -- not just mine, but for everybody," Young said. "To be able to come back in the second inning after being behind, be able to come together and put up quality at-bats through the lineup and put the pressure back on the Rangers, it was amazing."
• DYK: 10 facts from Yankees-Rangers slugfest
Yankees starter Chris Capuano recorded just two outs as the Rangers scored five off him in the first inning. Rangers starter Martin Perez, after pitching a scoreless first, was unable to record an out in the second. He allowed the first eight batters to reach base in the frame and was charged with eight runs.
Wandy Rodriguez replaced him as the long reliever but didn't last long. He allowed three runs before getting the Rangers out of the inning, then gave up four more in the third before Phil Klein had to replace him. Second baseman Adam Rosales pitched the ninth for Texas, allowing the Yankees' final two runs.
Video: NYY@TEX: Infielder Rosales comes in to pitch the 9th
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Yanks answer with double digits: As ugly as Capuano's brief start was, the Yankees erased it in a hurry, scoring 11 runs in the second. Brett Gardner tied the game with an RBI single and Alex Rodriguez followed with a run-scoring double that chased Perez, but the biggest hit was Gregorius' three-run triple to left-center. Young added a grand slam in the third inning to give New York a 10-run lead.
Video: NYY@TEX: Tracking the distance of Young's grand slam
"They're feeling confident, and they feel good at the plate, and it's a great approach," manager Joe Girardi said. "Five runs in the first, and our guys just stayed right at it. We had a lot of key hits. It starts with just a double, and then it just rolled after that."
Video: NYY@TEX: Gregorius clears the bases with a triple
Wrong way Odor: The pivotal play in the Yankees' 11-run second came with the bases loaded, nobody out and the Rangers still up, 5-1. Ryan hit a hard grounder right at second baseman Rougned Odor for what should have been a double play. But Odor misread the ball and broke to his right. The ball went right through where he was positioned and into right-center-field for a two-run double.
"I never saw the ball," Odor said. "It was a ground ball for a double play. I didn't see it. Everything started from there. It was my fault."
Video: NYY@TEX: Ryan's two-run double gets by a moving Odor
Moreno impresses: The Yankees were hoping to squeeze 50 pitches out of Capuano in a spot start -- they got 42, but just two outs -- and the 28-year-old Moreno was their contingency plan in case it didn't go well. Called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the day, Moreno entered in relief and pitched well over 5 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings, quieting the Texas lineup in just his third Major League appearance. Moreno was one of the two players acquired from the Pirates in the February 2012 A.J. Burnett trade. More >
"I was super happy about the opportunity given to me, just to be able to be part of the win today," Moreno said through an interpreter. "They called me to be in the bullpen today, to help out, and I was happy that I could contribute to the win."
Video: NYY@TEX: Moreno tosses 5 1/3 hitless relief innings
Klein saves bullpen: Klein gave the Rangers what they wanted from Rodriguez. Klein entered the game with no outs in the third and the score 15-5, and he gave the Rangers three innings in relief. He was called up Monday and has now pitched five innings in two days. That may earn him a trip back to Triple-A Round Rock because the Rangers will need somebody for long relief on Wednesday. More >
Video: NYY@TEX: Banister talks about the loss to the Yankees
QUOTABLE
"I didn't throw the ball where I wanted to and they hit everything." -- Perez, on his outing
"I've seen a snowman [eight runs] put up in an inning, but I've never seen 11. Everybody's swinging the bats, there's some tough outs. It's still big league pitching. It's fun to be a part of, but it definitely doesn't happen very often." -- Ryan
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The 11 runs scored in the second inning were the most ever scored by the Yankees in a second inning, and their most in any frame since they scored 12 in the first inning against the Orioles on July 30, 2011, en route to a 17-3 win. The franchise record for runs in an inning is 14, set in the fifth inning on July 6, 1920, at Washington.
WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka pitches against the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Arlington. The Yankees have won his last five starts and he is 3-0 with a 4.32 ERA in that stretch. This is his first career start against the Rangers.
Rangers: Right-hander Colby Lewis pitches against the Yankees at 7:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Arlington. Lewis is 6-1 with a 4.30 ERA in his last 10 starts. He is 2-3 with a 5.55 ERA in six career starts against the Yankees, but that doesn't include beating them twice in the 2010 American League Championship Series.
Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.