Tex hits two more homers to back Sabathia in 9-2 win

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yes, he's done this against the not-very-good A's. But given how the first 1½ months of the season went for Mark Teixeira, he'll take it. Because in that period, he wasn't doing it against many teams -- good, bad or indifferent.

Teixeira, who seems to be getting over the hacking cough that's plagued him for nearly seven weeks, homered twice and had five RBIs Saturday as the Yankees beat the A's, 9-2, for their fourth straight win.

Teixeira, who also homered Friday, went 4-for-5. He raised his RBI total to 28, second on the team, and has eight home runs. "I feel good,'' he said. "Just being real aggressive. I told you guys a couple days ago I was going to do it, and I've been doing it. I'm glad I'm seeing some results. Trying to let it go, which I've done my whole career.''

Teixeira said his plan to raise his batting average from the left side by trying to hit more balls the other way -- which he discussed several times in the offseason -- essentially has been scrapped.

"I tried. It didn't work,'' he said. "My whole career, I've been a certain kind of hitter and it's worked out pretty well. Hopefully it will continue.''

Teixeira doesn't think he was becoming a slap hitter, but the concern about bringing his average up, he said, had him straying from the "just hit the ball hard'' approach that made him a 30-homer, 100-RBI player for eight straight seasons.

"I'm here to drive in runs, play great defense and win games, win games first,'' he said. "At the end of the day, you have to score runs; it doesn't matter what your batting average is. I tried to make everybody happy.''

CC Sabathia (6-2, 3.66), who is from nearby Vallejo, made the 200-plus friends, family and acquaintances he had in attendance happy, allowing two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

The Yankees (25-21) pounded a teammate from last season, Bartolo Colon (4-5), who allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings. Robinson Cano had three hits, including his seventh home run of the season. He has three homers in his last four games.

"We know he's going to throw a lot of fastballs,'' Cano said of Colon. "You don't want to miss your pitch when he throws one over the plate.''

The Yankees didn't miss many. They had 14 hits after recording 12 Friday night and now have nine homers in their last three games. Derek Jeter, Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez each had two hits, with Jeter's giving him 3,154 for his career. That sent him past Paul Waner (3,152) and into a tie with George Brett for 14th on the all-time list. Next up is Cal Ripken Jr. at 3,184.

"I've said all along that these guys haven't been great hitters for a while by accident,'' Joe Girardi said of his lineup, which was in a prolonged slump much of the month. "These guys have been doing it year after year after year, and eventually things are going to even out.''

Teixeira received plenty of the early-season criticism. His difficulties were exacerbated by a lingering cough -- one Girardi characterized Saturday as "violent'' -- that he picked up the second week of April. But a couple of days off and a new approach -- which actually was his old approach -- has him feeling renewed.

He said the off days let him "wipe the slate clean'' and, along with hitting coach Kevin Long, assess "what do I need to do to get back to being me.''

"Chicks dig the long ball, the fans dig the long ball,'' Teixeira said with a smile at his mention of an ad campaign from years ago. "It's fun hitting home runs because not everyone can do it.''