Yanks slam Texas
Nick Swisher hit a grand slam off Ryan Dempster and drove in five runs, Derek Lowe closed with four shutout innings in his Yankees debut and New York beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on Monday night.
David Phelps, starting in place of injured ace CC Sabathia, picked off two runners and pitched a career- high five innings for the win.
In the opener of a fourgame series between the teams with the AL’s best records, the Yankees powered their way to a sixth straight victory over Texas in the Bronx.
Swisher’s second slam this season was his 200th career homer. Eric Chavez also homered off Dempster (1-1), the Rangers’ recent acquisition.
Dempster matched a season high by allowing eight runs. The other time he allowed eight was in his first start for Texas on Aug 2. In three starts since coming from the Chicago Cubs in a trade-deadline deal, Dempster has allowed 19 runs — 16 earned — in 17 1/3 innings.
Ichiro Suzuki tripled and Derek Jeter followed with a long RBI double in the seventh to end Dempster’s third start for Texas.
Swisher added an RBI single in the seventh as New York won for the fifth time in six games.
Phelps ( 3- 3) was being held to a 75- 80 pitch limit while making a spot start for Sabathia, who has a sore elbow.
Phelps needed 26 pitches in the first without being hit hard.
But thanks in part to a nifty pickoff move, he fulfilled his manager’s wish to make it through five innings.
Phelps turned over a 5- 2 lead to Lowe in the sixth. Designated for assignment by Cleveland on Aug 2 and released on Friday, Lowe signed with New York earlier on Monday and made his first appearance since July 31.
Lowe earned his first regularseason save since 2001 while with Boston, shutting down Texas on two hits. He walked none and struck out four.
Lowe went 8-10 with a 5.52 ERA for the Indians this season, and he had an 8.80 ERA in his final 12 starts for Cleveland.
The 39- year- old righthander, a longtime rival of the Yankees while he pitched for the Red Sox, received little notice from the fans when his name was called to start the sixth. After retiring three straight in the seventh, the crowd gave him a loud ovation.