Rangers, Gonzalez Gong Yanks

The New York Yankees challenged Juan Gonzalez to beat them. So he did.

After New York loaded the bases with an intentional walk, Gonzalez foiled the strategy with a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning that propelled the Texas Rangers to an 8-6 victory Wednesday night.

Todd Zeile added a two-run double later in the inning as the Rangers ended their six-game losing streak to the Yankees. New York also had a six-game overall winning streak coming in.

"Juan came up with the big hit with the bases loaded and I fought one off and kind of dropped it in there," said Zeile, who also homered. "It's nice to shake free that nemesis feeling we have playing against these guys."

The worst news of the night for New York was the resurfacing of an old left thigh injury for Orlando Hernandez. He told coaches of the pain during the fifth inning and manager Don Zimmer pulled him after the sixth.

Hernandez insisted that with treatment he'd be fine by his next start, which could be a must for the Yankees if Roger Clemens doesn't recover quickly from a strained left hamstring he aggravated Tuesday night.

"When I kick it doesn't hurt, but it hurts during my follow-through," said Hernandez, who allowed three runs and seven hits. "It used to go away (quickly), but not this time."

Mike Stanton (1-2) replaced Hernandez in the seventh with New York ahead 4-3, and the game was tied thre batters later on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Roberto Kelly.

Kelly took second when left fielder Chad Curtis unsuccessfully tried throwing out Royce Clayton at third. After Mark McLemore grounded out, New York opted to give Rusty Greer first base in hopes of getting Gonzalez to hit into a double play.

"Greer wears us out anyhow, so we walked him," Zimmer said.

Jeff Nelson replaced Stanton and Gonzalez greeted him with a two-run shot through the left side of the infield. Curtis overran the ball, allowing Kelly to score without a throw. No error was charged.

"Nelson is one of the toughest pitchers in the league for me," Gonzalez said. "He threw me a good pitch right in there and I hit it hard."

Stanton, who retired only McLemore, was charged with all four runs in the inning, increasing his ERA to 13.50.

Mike Munoz (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first victory since last June, when he pitched for Colorado.

John Wetteland, who lost Tuesday's game by allowing two runs in the ninth, bounced back against his former teammates for his seventh save. He made it interesting when his first pitch turned into Tino Martinez's second solo homer of the game.

The Yankees knocked out Mark Clark by scoring four runs in five innings. Martinez's first homer put New York up 1-0 in the second, then three runs scored in the fifth on Jorge Posada's two-run homer and Luis Sojo's. RBI single. Paul O'Neill doubled in a run in the eighth.

Texas' second and third runs came in the fifth on RBI from hot-hitting Lee Stevens and Tom Goodwin, who had been in a 2-for-25 slump.

Rangers manager Johnny Oates said those runs were crucial because it kept the game close immediately after New York had widened its lead. .

Notes

• The Yankees will get third baseman Scott Brosius back from the disabled list Thursday. He had an acutely sprained right ankle.
• Rodriguez's fifth-inning double was his first of the year. He had 40 last season.
• Martinez had his 11th multihomer game.
• Posada's homer reached the upper deck in right field. He's the second player this year and the 35th overall to do it.
• Texas' Royce Clayton donated $100,000 to the Jackie Robinson Foundation to endow a college scholarship. He's the first active major leaguer to do so. Robinson's widow, Rachel, and their son, David, attended the game.

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