A-Rod's perfect response in Texas: 5-for-5

[May 26, 2009]  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez had a perfect response for the hearty boos, matching a career high with five hits to lead the New York Yankees to an 11-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday.

Rodriguez also drove in four runs in his first game in Texas since admitting earlier this year that he used steroids while playing for the Rangers from 2001-03. Phil Hughes tossed eight shutout innings for New York, which has won 11 of 13.

After singling in the eighth inning in his fifth at-bat, A-Rod was lifted for a pinch runner with the Yankees already up 10-0. His first five-hit game since April 2005 raised his batting average 60 points -- from .189 to .259. He had 10 hits over his previous 16 games since being activated from the disabled list.

Hughes (3-2) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out six before leaving after 101 pitches. He had allowed 17 earned runs in 15 2-3 innings since throwing six scoreless innings in his first start of the season April 28 at Detroit.

Nelson Cruz connected against Yankees reliever Alfredo Aceves in the ninth, hitting his fifth homer in six games.

The Rangers (26-18), who entered with the best record in the American League, had their eight-game home winning streak snapped.

Rodriguez was booed when introduced before the game, though cheers from a group of Yankees fans were more prominent by the time A-Rod trotted off the field in the eighth.

Mark Teixeira, the Rangers' former first-round pick, hit an RBI double off Matt Harrison (4-4) in the first before Rodriguez drove in a run with an infield single.

Teixeira was playing his first game in Rangers Ballpark with the Yankees, but had already returned playing for Atlanta and the Los Angeles Angels since he was traded less than two years ago. Harrison was among the players Texas got when Teixeira was dealt to the Braves in July 2007.

The Yankees, wearing red caps as part of baseball's Memorial Day celebration, matched their most runs this season and had a season-best 19 hits. Teixeira had two hits for his fifth consecutive multihit game.

Rodriguez hit an RBI double before Robinson Cano's two-run triple in the third. He added a two-run double in the sixth.

Nick Swisher, who was 7 for 61 with five RBIs in his first 21 games in May, drove in three runs. He had an RBI groundout, a run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly in the eighth that capped the scoring.

All three hits allowed by Hughes were doubles, two of them leading off innings. But the Rangers didn't score until Cruz's 12th homer, a deep drive to left-center.

Harrison allowed seven runs and 11 hits over five innings.

Notes: New York extended its franchise-record errorless streak to 12 games. ... Yankees C Kevin Cash, who came into the game 1 for 17, had three hits. ... The sellout crowd of 48,914 was the second-largest of the season for Texas. The largest was opening day.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]

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