Thames' single in ninth gives Yankees comeback win

BY ERIK BOLAND

erik.boland@newsday.com

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Yankees will get Mark Teixeira back Thursday night in Kansas City and no doubt will welcome his return as he was swinging one of the hottest bats on the team.

His replacement in the three-hole for two days here, though, didn't do too badly.

Marcus Thames went 3-for-5 Wednesday night, which included the go-ahead single in the ninth, capping a rally from a five-run deficit against Cliff Lee and leading the Yankees to a 7-6 victory over the Rangers in front of 48,676 at the Ballpark in Arlington.

"It means they have some faith in me," Thames said of hitting third a second straight night (he went 2-for-5 Tuesday). "But after I see it I have to go out and be me. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself and try to act like I'm Tex. I'm just going to be Marcus."

With the Yankees (70-43), who increased their lead to 1 1/2 games over the Rays, trailing 6-5 in the ninth, Lance Berkman led off with a walk against closer Neftali Feliz and Curtis Granderson came in to pinch run. Brett Gardner singled to left and, with Derek Jeter at the plate, Feliz uncorked a wild pitch, moving the runners up. With the infield in, Jeter bounced one over Feliz's glove and under Cristian Guzman's at second to bring in Granderson to tie it at 6. Nick Swisher struck out and Rangers manager Ron Washington called for righty Alexi Ogando to face Thames, whose homer in the eighth pulled the Yankees, who struck out a franchise-high tying 17 times, to 6-5.

Thames fell in an 0-and-2 hole but grounded Ogando's third pitch into left to bring in Gardner to make it 7-6.

"I know my role," said Thames, used mostly this season against lefthanded pitchers. "If I'm in there against a righty late in the game I'm going to grind it out and try and have a good at-bat and do something to help the team."

Mariano Rivera, who took the loss here Tuesday night, allowed a leadoff triple to Elvis Andrus before retiring the next three batters in the ninth to earn his 24th save.

Austin Kearns made a shoestring catch in short right on Michael Young's fly ball and Josh Hamilton, 3-for-4 on the night to that point, grounded back to Rivera who held the runner at third before throwing to first. Vladimir Guerrero grounded to third to end the inning, which had a similar feel to the 10th inning of the Yankees' 6-5 victory over the Diamondbacks June 23 when Rivera earned the victory after loading the bases with none out in the 10th but escaped the jam.

"I'm thinking we're in a tough spot here but if anyone can do it Mo can," manager Joe Girardi said.

It all capped a stunning rally, which improbably started against Lee, a pitcher the Yankees are likely to pursue hard in the offseason but might face in October. They showed last night that task may not be insurmountable.

Lee allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, letting the Yankees back in front after he was handed a 6-1 lead after five.

Javier Vazquez, still going through what Girardi before the game called a "dead arm" stretch, allowed six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. His fastball topped out at 89 mph, 1 mph better than his fastest in his previous outing but still not where it had been in May or June. Vazquez isn't quite ready to say the velocity might be gone for good.

"I don't expect it to happen to me, I guess," Vazquez said. "I've always done my work. I work hard during the offseason, during the season between starts, and you think you're going to be able to throw the same thing you've been throwing your whole career. So I hope it comes back. If it doesn't, I have to do a better job of locating."

Lee, who almost clinically set down the Yankees in the first five innings, allowing one run and three hits while striking out seven of his first 11 batters, had the 6-1 lead he'd been handed trimmed to 6-2 in the sixth when Jeter tripled and scored on a wild pitch.

Robinson Cano started the seventh with a double and, after Jorge Posada struck out, Kearns singled to left. Berkman followed with an RBI double and Gardner, in a 2-for-26 slump, drove a 2-and-2 pitch up the middle for a single to bring in Kearns to make it 6-4. Washington brought in Darren O'Day to face Jeter with runners on first and third. Gardner stole second, giving Jeter a chance to tie the score with a single, but O'Day struck him out on a 2-and-2 pitch.

"It is [a big win]," Girardi said of the Yankees' second victory this season overcoming a five-run deficit. "Especially against a very tough pitcher. We just kept chipping away, chipping away. Guys never quit."