STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — J.P. Arencibia became the first Texas Rangers player with four extra-base hits since Josh Hamilton’s four-homer game, and drove in a career-high seven RBIs.
“Not enough,” Arencibia said when asked to describe his game. “Unfortunately we were one run short.”
Despite the big night by Arencibia that included a grand slam and a near comeback in the ninth off New York Yankees closer David Robertson, the Rangers lost 12-11 on Tuesday night.
“We didn’t quit, we kept fighting,” manager Ron Washington said.
Texas scored twice off Robertson, the fifth Yankees pitcher, and had the bases loaded after Elvis Andrus had a two-run single. Adrian Beltre hit a towering flyball to deep left that finally ended the game after 3 hours, 51 minutes.
“It was about as bad as you can suck and still get one of the better hitters in the game out and not lose the ballgame,” said Robertson, who got his 27th save in 29 chances.
The Yankees never trailed after Brett Gardner reached base twice in a seven-run sixth inning that made it 8-4.
“If you look into that sixth inning, I don’t think there were many people that thought we had a chance,” Washington said. “We was one swing away with the right guy at the plate.”
New York was up 10-4 before Arencibia, already with two doubles and a solo homer, hit his grand slam in the seventh.
The last player in the majors with at least seven RBIs in a loss was Jonathan Lucroy in 2012, when Milwaukee fell to the Cubs, STATS said. That was the same season Hamilton homered four times at Baltimore.
Arencibia struck out to start the ninth before the Rangers had two hits and three walks off Robertson.
After winning the series opener 4-2, the Rangers missed a chance to win consecutive games for the first time in a month. They have lost 30 of their last 37 games overall, and 11 of 13 at home.
Brandon McCarthy (3-0) went six innings for the Yankees, who have won all four of his starts since getting the big right-hander in a trade from Arizona on July 6.
Teixeira, in his first start in nine games after a back strain, homered in the eighth to make it 12-8. He also walked three times and scored two other runs.
Gardner, who went deep twice Monday off Yu Darvish, led off against rookie Nick Martinez (1-7) with his 13th homer. He added his second double to start the sixth and scored the first run in that rally.
“He was hitting the ball hard before but getting outs,” Yankees manager Girardi said. “Now he’s hitting it out and hitting it down the lines.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (shoulder), out since early May, threw 45 pitches in a bullpen session and is set to start an injury rehab assignment Sunday. Infielder Kelly Johnson (strained left groin) is expected to be ready to play when eligible to come off the DL on Aug. 7.
Rangers: Nick Tepesch pulled himself out of his last start Saturday night because of left knee soreness, and now Texas will skip his next turn in the rotation Friday as a precaution. Jerome Williams starts Friday at Cleveland.
ON DECK
Yankees RHP Hiroki Kuroda, 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA in five career starts against Texas, pitches against Colby Lewis in the rubber game of the three-game set. The Rangers will try to end a string of seven consecutive series losses since taking two of three against Minnesota a month ago.
I GOT IT — NOT
The final run in the Yankees sixth scored after Gardner’s flyball into the right-center field ended up a three-base error. Right fielder Alex Rios was calling for the ball when he reached for it, but closed his glove too soon. The ball ricocheted off the back of his glove and then off the head of center fielder Leonys Martin, who was also in pursuit. Martin said he never heard Rios calling for it. Washington said the error cost the Rangers a run, but didn’t blame that for the loss.
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