Yanks Shut 'Em Down In Texas

David Wells figured he owed the Texas Rangers a beating for what they had done to him this year.

"They always give me trouble and I wanted to redeem myself," Wells said after pitching a six-hitter to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-0 win Friday night.

Tino Martinez homered twice as the Yankees snapped a rare two-game losing streak.

Wells (16-2) finally solved the Rangers, who had rallied from nine- and three-run deficits this season to hand the left-hander no-decisions. He struck out seven and walked one in his fourth shutout.

Wells, who entered with a 12.46 ERA against the Rangers this year, has won eight straight decisions.

"I was anxious to get out there against them," Wells said. "We had some great offense and great defense. We had some double plays and I settled down early and got going. I know how tough they are. If you get pitches up they crush them. You have to be smart and keep the ball down."

The Yankees, who have lost two in a row seven times this year, have lost three straight just once the first three games of the season.

"We couldn't touch Wells this time," Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "He had great control and made some key pitches when we had runners on base."

Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter also homered for New York.

Knoblauch hit the third pitch from Esteban Loaiza (1-3) into the left-field seats for his 17th homer, the most by a Yankees second baseman since Joe Gordon hit 17 in 1943.

Martinez, who went 3-for-4, hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to make it 2-0 and give him 100 RBIs for the third consecutive season. He is the first Yankee to do it since Don Mattingly had at least 100 RBIs from 1984-87.

Martinez hit his 21st homer in the sixth inning to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

"It's always good to beat the Rangers because they are one of the top teams in the AL," Martinez said. "It hit a changeup on my first homer and a fastball on my second one."

Jeter hit his 16th homer in the fifth inning, tying him with Roy Smalley (1982) for the most homers by Yankees shortstop. He also singled across a run in the seventh after Scott Brosius singled and Knoblauch was hit by a pitch.

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