Colby Lewis pitched brilliantly for eight innings and Vladimir Guerrero and Nelson Cruz combined to drive in five runs as the Texas Rangers punched a ticket to their first World Series in franchise history with a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night.

Lewis (2-0), who spent the past two years pitching in Japan, shackled the Yankees on one run and three hits as Texas eliminated the defending World Series champions in six games of the American League Championship Series.

Guerrero had a two-run double and Cruz followed with a two-run homer in a four-run fifth inning as the Yankees once again wilted under a relentless attack by the Rangers' lineup.

That was more than enough support for Lewis, who struck out seven and walked three in his longest outing since a complete-game win over Houston on June 19.

Rookie closer Neftali Feliz put the finishing touches on the win with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Alex Rodriguez to end it and set off a frenzied celebration.

The Rangers will await the winner of the NLCS between Philadelphia and San Francisco in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

It was sweet revenge for Texas, which entered the series having lost nine consecutive playoff games at the hands of the Yankees.

But, aside from Game 5 and a five-run inning by the Yankees in Game 1, the Rangers punished New York in every phase of the game, outscoring the Bronx Bombers 38-19. New York scored its only run Friday on a disputed wild pitch.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes (0-2), an 18-game winner during the regular season, failed to get out of the fifth inning for the second time in the series. He gave up four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.

Tied at 1-1 with a runner on third in the pivotal fifth inning, the Yankees opted to intentionally walk ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton. Guerrero foiled the strategy, drilling a two-run double to the gap in left-center that drove Hughes from the game.

Dave Robertson relieved and promptly gave up a two-run homer to Cruz, who has hit safely in all 11 postseason games.

From there, the celebration began to build for a raucous crowd that had witnessed just one postseason victory in franchise history prior to this season.