Bengie Molina hit a go-ahead, three-run home run and the Texas Rangers moved within one win of a trip to the World Series with a 10-3 rout of the host New York Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday night.
Josh Hamilton belted a pair of solo homers – giving him four in the ALCS - and Derek Holland pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief as the Rangers won their third straight game to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
The Yankees will turn to ace left-hander CC Sabathia in Wednesday afternoon's Game 5 in an attempt to stave off elimination and force the series back to Texas. C.J. Wilson will start for the Rangers.
Molina's three-run blast off Yankees starter A.J. Burnett (0-1) with two out in the sixth inning gave the Rangers a 5-3 lead en route to their fifth straight road win of the postseason. The decisive homer came immediately after New York manager Joe Girardi elected to intentionally walk David Murphy.
Holland (1-0) relieved starter Tommy Hunter with one out in the fourth and escaped a bases-loaded jam by allowing just one run on a fielder’s choice grounder. He allowed just one hit with three strikeouts and two walks.
Vlad Guerrero had four hits and Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Texas, which scored six of its first seven runs with two out.
The Yankees absorbed what could be a crushing injury when first baseman Mark Teixeira pulled a hamstring running out a fifth-inning ground ball and had to exit the game. He is expected to undergo an MRI exam.
The second inning featured one controversial home run by New York's Robinson Cano and another by teammate Lance Berkman that was reversed upon replay.
Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz argued that a fan interfered with his chance to catch Cano's shot, but umpire Jim Reynolds stuck by his call.
Reynolds also ruled that Berkman's blast down the right field line was a homer, but Texas manager Ron Washington protested that the ball hooked foul and the umpires agreed upon video review.
Texas | NY Yankees | |
Tommy Hunter | Player | A.J. Burnett |
No Decision | W/L | Loss |
3.1 | IP | 6.0 |
5 | Strikeouts | 4 |
5 | Hits | 6 |
8.10 | ERA | 7.50 |
Texas | NY Yankees | |
Vladimir Guerrero | Player | Robinson Cano |
4 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
5 | TB | 5 |
.800 | Avg | .667 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Texas | 13 | 4 | 26 | .351 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
NY Yankees | 7 | 1 | 13 | .212 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |