First-time full-timer Barajas homers, capping Texas' comeback against Yanks

Ex-Scrapper Ryan Drese pitched eight innings, but didn't get the win.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rod Barajas homered with one out in the ninth inning, capping a late comeback that gave the Texas Rangers a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Barajas, who became the full-time starter Friday when rookie Gerald Laird tore a ligament in his left thumb, smacked an 0-1 breaking ball from Tom Gordon (1-2) high into the left-field seats for his fourth homer of the season. The Rangers came streaming out of their dugout and surrounded the plate, giving him an October-like greeting once he scored.
Emotions have been high in Arlington all weekend, partly because of the Yankees but mostly because of the return of Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and made an error that helped start Texas' tying rally in the eighth.
Retires first 14
Carlos Almanzar (4-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win. Starter Ryan Drese retired his first 14 batters, then fell behind by allowing homers to Bernie Williams and Tony Clark on consecutive pitches. Drese tied a career high by going eight innings.
Yankees starter Jose Contreras looked good in his return from the minors, overcoming a shaky first inning to give up only one run -- a solo homer by Alfonso Soriano -- and three hits in six innings. Contreras struck out a season-best seven and left with a 3-1 lead.
The Rangers' rally began with a single by Hank Blalock, then Soriano hit a chopper that Rodriguez charged but failed to field cleanly at third. He recovered with a strong throw that might have beaten Soriano, but he was called safe.
Brad Fullmer followed with a grounder to Gordon that could've been a double play, but his throw to second base bounced through the legs of shortstop Derek Jeter and rolled into center field for another error. Blalock scored on the play.
Mark Teixeira tied it with a bloop single to left, then David Dellucci hit another comebacker that Gordon nearly flubbed again -- but Jeter made a good catch to get the force at second.
A-Rod, who homered in his first at-bat back in Texas on Friday night, had a chance to come through by leading off the ninth but he flied out to center.
The homers by Williams and Clark were a good sign for the Yankees. Those hitters will be relied on more than usual the next two weeks because Jason Giambi went on the disabled list Saturday with a sprained ankle. Clark becomes the regular first baseman and Williams is likely to get more at-bats, too.
An even better sign, though, was Contreras' strong performance.
He was demoted May 4 after the shortest outing of his career. The Yankees mostly wanted him to work on his mechanics and his confidence. After one week in Tampa, Fla., and two starts at Triple-A Columbus, he was given another chance in the big league rotation.
He seemed on the verge of blowing it in the first inning, giving up Soriano's long homer, walking Fullmer and hitting Teixeira with a pitch, all with two outs. But the Rangers never got another runner past second base against Contreras.
NEW YORKTEXAS
abrhbiabrhbi
Lofton cf4010MYong ss4010
Jeter ss4000Blalock 3b4110
ARdrgz 3b4110ASrano 2b4211
Shffield rf4000Fllmer dh3000
Matsui lf4011Txeira 1b3011
BWllms dh3121Dllucci lf3000
TClark 1b3111Mench rf4010
Flherty c3000Nix cf3000
EWilsn 2b3010Brajas c4111
Totals32373Totals32463
New York000020100--3
Texas100000021--4
One out when winning run scored.
E--ARodriguez (4), Gordon (1). DP--New York 1, Texas 2. LOB--New York 2, Texas 7. HR--BWilliams (4), TClark (3), ASoriano (6), Barajas (4). SB--Dellucci (4).
IPHRERBBSO
New York
Contreras631127
Quantrill100001
Heredia011100
Gordon L,1-21 1-322101
Texas
Drese873303
Almanzar W,4-0100000
Heredia pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. HBP--by Contreras (Dellucci), by Contreras (Teixeira). WP--Contreras. Umpires--Home, Tim McClelland; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Fieldin Culbreth; Third, Jim Wolf. T--2:24. A--49,458.
Athletics 5, Royals 4, 11 innings
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jermaine Dye made a clutch catch in the top of the 11th inning then scored on Bobby Crosby's infield single with two outs in the bottom half.
Eric Chavez tied it with a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth off new closer Jeremy Affeldt, making his first relief appearance of the year after eight starts.
Zack Greinke nearly beat Barry Zito in his major league debut, leaving with a 4-2 lead before Affeldt blew it.
Joe Randa opened the 11th with a double and went to third on Benito Santiago's sacrifice. After Brandon Berger fouled out, Desi Relaford hit a towering fly into right that Dye caught on the warning track and held on to as he crashed into the wall and fell to the ground.
In the bottom half, Dye and Scott Hatteberg singled and Erubiel Durazo was walked intentionally by Scott Sullivan (3-1) ahead of Crosby's winner, which Relaford tracked down behind second but had no chance at getting the speedy Crosby.
Mike Sweeney homered and Berger hit a two-run double for Kansas City. Angel Berroa added an RBI single but the Royals lost to the A's for the fifth straight time.
Justin Duchscherer (2-1) pitched the 11th for the win.
Durazo homered for Oakland, which extended its winning streak to a season-high four games.
Zito is unbeaten in eight career starts against the Royals, but he's yet to win a home game this season.
Greinke went five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and strikeout. On a strict pitch count, Greinke came out after throwing 84 pitches.
He did manage to escape a threat in the fifth. With two outs, Mark McLemore doubled, Eric Byrnes was hit by a pitch and Billy McMillon walked. Greinke got Chavez to ground out to second to end the inning.
Chavez also grounded out with runners on second and third in the seventh.
Nate Field and Jason Grimsley each pitched a scoreless inning before Affeldt took over.
Zito lasted seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
KANSAS CITYOAKLAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Berroa ss5011Byrnes rf5110
Beltran cf5010McMln lf3120
MiSwy 1b5111Dye rf2110
Harvey dh5120EChavz 3b6112
Randa 3b4120Httberg 1b6020
BStiago c4000Durazo dh5122
Berger lf5122Crosby ss5011
Rlaford 2b4010Kotsay cf3000
MLopez rf2000Scutaro 2b0000
Stairs rf1000McLmr 2b3000
Kielty rf2000
Mlhuse c5020
Totals404104Totals455125
Kansas City00011200000--4
Oakland00020000201--5
Two outs when winning run scored.
E--Berroa (4), Relaford (1), MLopez (3). DP--Kansas City 1, Oakland 1. LOB--Kansas City 7, Oakland 14. 2B--Harvey (4), Randa (10), Berger (1), Relaford (3), McMillon (3), Hatteberg (9), Melhuse (2). HR--MiSweeney (6), EChavez (11), Durazo (8). SB--Berger (1). S--BSantiago, MLopez.
IPHRERBBSO
Kansas City
Greinke552211
Field110001
Grimsley120000
Affeldt212011
Leskanic100021
Sullivan L,3-1 2-331110
Oakland
Zito774427
Bradford210003
Rhodes110001
Dchchr W,2-1110000
HBP--by Greinke (Byrnes). Umpires--Home, Mark Wegner; First, Larry Young; Second, Angel Hernandez; Third, Mike Everitt. T--3:28. A--26,081.
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