Mark Teixeira

NEW YORK - Texas tied an American League record by turning six double plays as the Rangers picked up where they left off last October, beating the New York Yankees, 5-3, on Friday night. The teams played for the first time since Texas battered the Yankees to win last year's AL Championship Series in six games. The Rangers won this time with pitching, thanks to Matt Harrison (3-0) and his sure-handed fielders on a chilly, windy evening. Texas turned double plays on grounders by the first six hitters in the New York lineup - Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, and Nick Swisher.

Kenny Rogers left the Texas Rangers' clubhouse yesterday without saying whether he will participate in the All-Star Game. Still, one of his teammates expects to see the pitcher in Detroit. "I'm pretty sure he's going," Mark Teixeira, the AL's starting first baseman, said yesterday. "He made his own decision. He definitely wants to be there. " Rogers, 40, told team officials that he wasn't speaking to reporters, and he didn't comment when asked questions while walking out of the clubhouse.

Offense reigned in Kansas City. Ray Durham homered twice and doubled as the Chicago White Sox rallied for eight runs in the sixth inning and beat the Royals, 13-12, last night. Carlos Beltran had a two-run triple in the Royals' seven-run first, then hit his first career grand slam in the seventh. He also singled and walked twice. Durham hit two solo homers and an RBI double. Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand also had three of Chicago's 18 hits. Kansas City also had 18 hits.

Kenny Rogers' immediate future will be determined by Major League Baseball, and the Texas Rangers expect their ace to be suspended for his angry outburst that sent a television cameraman to the hospital with minor injuries. Rangers owner Tom Hicks said baseball has jurisdiction because the incident occurred on the field. A decision on discipline is due today. Rogers was caught on videotape shoving two cameramen before Wednesday's game against the Angels. Larry Rodriguez, treated at a hospital, filed an assault report, said Arlington police, who are investigating.

Rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched seven shutout innings to outduel C.C. Sabathia, denying Cleveland's ace his 14th win, as the visiting Boston Red Sox won their fifth straight, 1-0, over the Indians last night. Matsuzaka (12-7), tagged for a season-high 12 hits in his first start against Cleveland on May 30, gave up four hits before turning it over to the bullpen. The Japanese righthander allowed only one runner to reach third and improved to 5-2 in his past eight starts. Sabathia (13-5)

It sounds as if Mark Teixeira won't be returning to the Los Angeles Angels. The Los Angeles Times, citing Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead, reported yesterday that the team was not pursuing the slugging free-agent first baseman anymore. Earlier in the day, ESPN.com, citing a source, reported the Angels had withdrawn their 8-year offer for Teixeira. That would leave the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles and Nationals still pursuing Teixeira. The Angels acquired Teixeira in a trade with Atlanta before the July 31 deadline last season.

Brett Gardner hit his first major league homer and drove in three runs, Andy Pettitte (3-1) won for the first time in four starts and the visiting New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 8-2, last night. The Yankees finished with 11 hits, including eight for extra bases, and improved to 11-0 when holding their opponent to three runs or fewer. Gardner also tripled and scored twice, and Mark Teixeira finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, raising his average to .202. Every Yankees starter except rightfielder Nick Swisher reached base safely at least once.

Chad Durbin is relieved to be starting. Durbin struck out a career-high seven and Ronnie Belliard hit a two-run double as the Cleveland Indians defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, 2-0, last night. "I'm feeling a lot more confident, a lot more comfortable," said Durbin (5-4), who was in the bullpen earlier this season. He gave up three walkoff homers and had a 7.63 ERA in nine relief outings, but improved to 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA over three starts since being recalled from the minors July 22. Durbin allowed four hits and three walks in seven innings as Cleveland, second to Minnesota in the American League Central, won for the sixth time in seven games.

MARK TEIXEIRA set a major league record by homering from both sides of the plate for the 12th time and Phil Hughes (2-3) pitched six innings to send the New York Yankees to their fifth straight victory, 6-0, over the host Chicago White Sox in a game called after 6 1/2 innings because of rain. Teixeira's two-run shot to left batting righthanded against John Danks made it 4-0 in the third and was his 30th homer of the season - marking the seventh straight season the slugger has reached that mark.

Mariano Rivera struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded for the final out and Russell Martin hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning that sent the visiting New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox, 4-2, last night, despite stranding 12 runners in the first six innings. The lack of clutch hitting cost A.J. Burnett a potential victory as he began September with a solid performance after a horrible August in which he was 1-2 with an 11.91 ERA in five starts. In this one, he gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

ST. LOUIS - On the eve of the World Series, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch celebrated 10 world titles, 18 pennants, and a century or more as a bona-fide baseball town by rolling out a fat special section under the theme, "Tradition. " Meanwhile, if you had piled up all the Rangers highlights from four decades in Texas, it wouldn't have filled a pamphlet. And yet here the Rangers are in St. Louis, baseball mecca, only one win away from a championship. They come back from an embarrassing, record-setting loss to win two straight and take the Series lead.

Mariano Rivera struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded for the final out and Russell Martin hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning that sent the visiting New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox, 4-2, last night, despite stranding 12 runners in the first six innings. The lack of clutch hitting cost A.J. Burnett a potential victory as he began September with a solid performance after a horrible August in which he was 1-2 with an 11.91 ERA in five starts. In this one, he gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

MARK TEIXEIRA set a major league record by homering from both sides of the plate for the 12th time and Phil Hughes (2-3) pitched six innings to send the New York Yankees to their fifth straight victory, 6-0, over the host Chicago White Sox in a game called after 6 1/2 innings because of rain. Teixeira's two-run shot to left batting righthanded against John Danks made it 4-0 in the third and was his 30th homer of the season - marking the seventh straight season the slugger has reached that mark.

JASON KIPNIS delivered his first career hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels last night. Kipnis hit a 1-0 pitch from Hisanori Takahashi between first and second base to give the Indians their 11th home win in their last at-bat and break a four-game losing streak. Kipnis was well aware he was 0-for-5 since being called up Friday and really wanted a hit. "I actually thought, 'Why not now?

Mark Teixeira was inspired to be a switch-hitter watching Eddie Murray with the Baltimore Orioles. Now, he's connected to the Hall of Famer in the record book. Teixeira hit two-run drives from each side of the plate in the New York Yankees' 12-4 win over the visiting Texas Rangers last night, the 11th time he's homered as a lefty and righty in the same game. That matched Murray and Chili Davis for most in history. "My dad used to say, 'Is Eddie going to hit one from the right side or the left side?

ARLINGTON, Texas - Derek Jeter homered twice after going 62 games without a long ball and Curtis Granderson went deep again as the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers, 12-5, on Sunday despite an erratic outing by CC Sabathia. Jeter had gone 259 at-bats without a homer (since Aug. 24 of last season) before leading off the fifth with a liner that barely cleared the eight-foot wall into the Rangers' bullpen in right-center. Jeter didn't wait long for his next homer, leading off the seventh against Arthur Rhodes (1-2)

NEW YORK - Freddy Garcia allowed two hits over six innings in his first start of the season, Mark Teixeira drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees held off Texas, 5-2, on Saturday. With temperatures in the mid-40s, Garcia (1-0) worked through steady rain showers and winds gusting to 30 m.p.h. to shut down the Texas offense. The only hits the veteran righthander allowed were to Adrian Beltre in the first inning and David Murphy in the fourth. Robinson Cano hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, and Mariano Rivera closed out the ninth for his sixth save.

NEW YORK - Texas tied an American League record by turning six double plays as the Rangers picked up where they left off last October, beating the New York Yankees, 5-3, on Friday night. The teams played for the first time since Texas battered the Yankees to win last year's AL Championship Series in six games. The Rangers won this time with pitching, thanks to Matt Harrison (3-0) and his sure-handed fielders on a chilly, windy evening. Texas turned double plays on grounders by the first six hitters in the New York lineup - Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, and Nick Swisher.

Intentional or not, the Texas Rangers sent a loud message this opening weekend. They can still hit with the best of them. And, even without Cliff Lee, their pitching is good enough to make the reigning AL champs among the teams to beat this season. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz became the first teammates to homer in each of the first three games in a season, and Matt Harrison pitched the Rangers to a 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox yesterday and a sweep of their season-opening series at Rangers Ballpark.

ARLINGTON, Texas - The postseason has been known to swallow up young players - and older ones, for that matter - but Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus is one who is thriving in the limelight. Few people, at least from outward appearances, are enjoying the postseason more than the 22-year-old native of Venezuela. As Texas' leadoff hitter, Andrus was the catalyst of an offense that batted .304 in its six-game American League Championship Series win over the New York Yankees.