ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Derek Jeter had four hits to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games, Alex Rodriguez belted career home run No. 632 and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-4 on Monday night.
CC Sabathia (2-0) struck out eight over eight innings for his 11th career win against the two-time defending American League champion Rangers, who won their first five series this season.
The big left-hander was pitching with an extra day of rest after the Yankees' scheduled series finale at Boston was rained out Sunday night, a day after New York overcame a 9-0 deficit for a 15-9 win over the Red Sox.
Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save. New York has won 10 of 13 since being swept in three games at Tampa Bay to start the season.
Josh Hamilton homered for the Rangers.
Derek Holland (2-1) fell to 0-5 with a 9.26 ERA against the Yankees. He gave up seven runs and nine hits in six innings.
RED SOX 6, TWINS 5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth as the Red Sox beat Minnesota to snap a five-game losing streak.
Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff runner on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.
Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Matt Capps (0-1). Jon Lester allowed six hits, five runs and four walks over seven innings. He struck out four but wasted a 3-0 lead.
BLUE JAYS 4, ROYALS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Kelly Johnson also went deep and Toronto Blue Jays beat the bumbling Kansas City Royals to complete a four-game sweep.
The Blue Jays improved to 6-1 on the road this season, while Kansas City lost its 11th straight to finish up a winless 10-game homestand. The Royals became the first team to lose its first 10 at home since the Chicago Cubs dropped 12 in a row at Wrigley Field in 1994.
Eric Hosmer homered for Kansas City. Otherwise, Brandon Morrow (1-1) took care of the struggling Royals lineup for 6 2-3 innings. Francisco Cordero got some help from a double-play groundout in the ninth for his second save.
The four-game sweep was the Blue Jays' first since May 2009, and their first ever at Kansas City. The last time they swept four on the road was 2003 against the New York Yankees.
Bruce Chen (0-2) took the loss.
Kansas City (3-13) matched the 2006 team for the second-worst start in franchise history, and heads out on a nine-game trip having lost 11 straight for the first time since May 2008. The last major league team to lose 10 straight at home was Arizona in 2004.
