Texas Rangers

Another Ian Kinsler homer pads lead

Ian Kinsler hit a two-out solo shot in the eighth, his second homer of the game, to give the Rangers a 7-2 lead entering the ninth inning. Give a tip of the cap to C.J. Wilson, who gave the Rangers two scoreless innings despite seeing the first two Yankees reach against him in the seventh. He responded by striking out Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher, and tossing an easy eighth.

-- Jeff Wilson

Chris Davis homer gives Rangers 6-2 edge

David Murphy led off the seventh inning with a double off left-hander Phil Coke, Taylor Teagarden followed with a bunt hit while attempting to sacrifice, and Chris Davis brought them in with a three-run homer to make it 6-2. It was Davis' 16th homer of the season and his first since being recalled from Triple A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Davis avoided an error in the bottom of the sixth with a nifty back-handed flip to Jason Grilli on a Derek Jeter grounder to end the inning. Grilli stands to be the winning pitcher after 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief. Look for either Darren O'Day or C.J. Wilson in the bottom of the seventh.

-- Jeff Wilson

Jason Grilli gets Rangers out of mess

Starting pitcher Dustin Nippert walked three batters in the fourth and allowed an RBI single to Mark Teixeira before getting yanked with runners at first and third and two outs. Jason Grilli, who hadn't retired any of the five hitters he had faced since coming off the disabled list, entered and got Alex Rodriguez to ground weakly to the mound to end the inning.

So, add it all up, and the Rangers still lead. It's 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth after A.J. Burnett blew through the bottom of the Rangers' lineup. Nippert allowed four hits in 3 2/3 innings, but he walked seven and threw 98 pitches.

-- Jeff Wilson

One swing gives Rangers 3-1 lead

Yankees right-hander A.J. Burnett has allowed only one hit. But two walks preceeded a three-run homer by Ian Kinsler, and suddenly the Rangers lead 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kinsler laced the first pitch from Burnett into the left-field seats after a pair of quality at-bats by Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. Each was behind in the count before working two-out walks.

Dustin Nippert has improved since a 36-pitch first inning, but he entered the fourth at 71 pitches and walked Melky Cabrera to start the inning. Not the start to an inning he wants after being handed a 3-1 lead.

-- Jeff Wilson

Yankees strike first again

The Yankees have taken the first lead of the game for the third straight day, scoring once in a very long bottom of the first inning. The reason for the length? A whopping 36 pitches by Dustin Nippert, who walked three batters and struck out two others. A.J. Burnett, on the other hand, set down the Rangers in order on 12 pitches in the first.

-- Jeff Wilson

Today's lineups

No Marlon Byrd, who is experiencing tremendous soreness after being stricken with a kidney stone Wednesday. He will be in uniform, though he didn't seem too sure if he'd be able to pinch-hit.

Rangers lineup

Julio Borbon, dh

Michael Young, 3b

Josh Hamilton, cf

Nelson Cruz, rf

Ian Kinsler, 2b

David Murphy, lf

Taylor Teagarden, c

Chris Davis, 1b

Elvis Andrus, ss

Yankees lineup

Derek Jeter, ss

Johnny Damon, lf

Mark Teixeira, 1b

Ivan Rodriguez, 3b

Hideki Matsui, dh

Nick Swisher, rf

Robinson Cano, 2b

Melky Cabrera, cf

Jose Molina, c

-- Jeff Wilson

Rangers DFA Jason Jennings

By designating the right-hander for assigment, it ends his two-year run with the Rangers. The move also clears a roster spot for right-hander Pedro Strop. Jennings is 2-4 with a 4.13 ERA this season, but has a 7.07 ERA in his last 13 appearances. He allowed two earned runs in an inning of work Wednesday night.

- Jeff Wilson

Marlon Byrd out of lineup again

The Texas outfielder, who has been bothered by kidney stones, is out of the starting lineup for a second-consecutive day.

- Jeff Wilson

Pedro Strop to be put on roster today

Right-hander Pedro Strop, who has spent the year shuttling between Frisco and Oklahoma City, will have his contract purchased today and will be active for today's series finale against the Yankees. It's not clear whose roster spot he will take, though it's possible right-hander Jason Jennings will go on the disabled list. Strop is 6-6 with a 5.06 ERA in 47 appearances this season, with all of them coming in relief

- Jeff Wilson

Derek Holland exits

Left-hander Derek Holland started the seventh inning at 84 pitches. He threw 14 more, including 12 to Jerry Hairston Jr., and is out after failing to retire the first two Yankees hitters. Jason Jennings is on with runners at first and second and now one out. (Jack Nicholson, in attendance with Paul McCartney, just gave a thumbs-up to the video board.)

-- Jeff Wilson