Jeter Gives Yanks A Lift

Rookie Ryan Glynn got off to a great start, pitching a perfect first inning and striking out Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill.

Then in a hurry, the whole game got away from Glynn and the Texas Rangers.

Jeter hit a three-run homer that capped a six-run second inning, and the New York Yankees sent Texas to its season-high fourth straight loss, 6-2 Tuesday night.

"I feel like I let my team down," Glynn said after dropping his first major league decision. "I had to keep us in it early, and I didn't."

"I didn't realize it was that big an edge," Jeter said.

The AL West-leading Rangers had not lost four in a row since last July. Texas played without All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who left Monday night's game because of muscle spasms in his back.

"I don't know about tomorrow," Rodriguez said. "It doesn't feel too good right now."

Jeter struck out in his other three at-bats, ending his bid to become the first Yankees player with eight straight multihit games since Mike Easler in 1986.

Still, Jeter's home run off Glynn (0-1) was enough for New York to send Texas to its seventh consecutive loss at Yankee Stadium.

"You got me. It's something strange," New York manager Joe Torre said. "We've been very fortunate against them. It's not something I can really explain."

Cone allowed four hits in seven innings, shutting down a Texas lineup that seemingly cannot get comfortable in New York. Ramiro Mendoza finished with two hitless innings.

"Right now, it just seems like not enough hitting, not enough pitching and not enough managing," Texas manager Johnny Oates said.

Never in his career has Cone let an opposing pitcher earn his first big league victory against him, and the same was true with Glynn. There have been 17 pitchers who tried to do it, and Cone is 13-0 against them.

Glyn did fine, except for that one shaky inning. Aside from the second, he gave up just two other hits in six innings. He fanned five, getting O'Neill twice.

"Unfortunately, we can't throw out the bad innings," Oates said. "One bad inning, one bad pitch can cost you."

Glynn struck out Jeter and O'Neill to finish the first, then Bernie Williams drew a leadoff walk in the second. Singles by Tino Martinez and Chili Davis produced a run that tied it at 1.

Luis Sojo, subbing for the resting Scott Brosius, ended an 0-for-14 slump with an RBI double and Glynn threw a wild pitch while walking Chuck Knoblauch with two outs, scoring another run.

Glynn, who struck out Jeter with an outside fastball the first time, tried to set him up with an inside slider. Jeter connected for his 12th home run.

"That was a bad pitch," Glynn said. "A very bad slider."

Glynn did not permit another hit until Davis singled with two outs in the sixth.

Rafael Palmeiro walked and scored on Lee Stevens' double in the Texas second. Cone did not give up another hit until the seventh, when Palmeiro singled, Stevens doubled again and Gregg Zaun had a sacrifice fly.

Notes: