David Murphy homered and singled in a run as the host Texas Rangers routed the New York Yankees 7-2 on Saturday to even the American League Championship Series at one game apiece.
Colby Lewis (1-0) allowed two runs in 5 2/3 solid innings and was supported by a 12-hit attack as Texas bounced back from a crushing defeat in Friday night’s Game 1 and snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak to New York.
The best-of-7 series now shifts to Yankee Stadium for three games, with Rangers ace Cliff Lee set to oppose Andy Pettitte in Game 3 on Monday night.
The Rangers came out swinging against Yankees starter Phil Hughes (0-1), putting up a run in the first and two each in the second and third innings to build a 5-0 lead for the second straight night.
Hughes was pounded for seven runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings. Seven of the 10 hits were for extra bases and seven of them came with two strikes as Texas registered the first postseason home win in franchise history.
Murphy, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus all had two hits apiece for the Rangers to back Lewis, who allowed an RBI single to Lance Berkman and a solo homer to Robinson Cano.
Unlike Friday night, when their bullpen imploded and coughed up a five-run lead, the Rangers got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from their relief corps.
Texas set the tone in the first, scratching out a run on a double steal by Andrus and Josh Hamilton.
Murphy homered and Michael Young doubled in a run in the second, and Cruz, Murphy and Bengie Molina rapped consecutive doubles in the third to plate two more runs.
Ian Kinsler sent Hughes to the showers in the fifth with an RBI triple and scored on Moreland’s single off reliever Joba Chamberlain for a 7-1 cushion.
NY Yankees | Texas | |
Phil Hughes | Player | Colby Lewis |
Loss | W/L | Win |
4.0 | IP | 5.2 |
3 | Strikeouts | 6 |
10 | Hits | 6 |
15.75 | ERA | 3.18 |
NY Yankees | Texas | |
Robinson Cano | Player | David Murphy |
2 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
1 | HR | 1 |
6 | TB | 6 |
.400 | Avg | .667 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
NY Yankees | 7 | 1 | 12 | .212 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Texas | 12 | 1 | 22 | .364 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 |