Yanks Slam Rangers... Again

The biggest contributor to Orlando Hernandez's first win in 1 1/2 months may have been Rangers shortstop Royce Clayton.

"They're like sharks. You give them a taste of blood, they come after you," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said Monday after Clayton's error led to six unearned runs in the third inning of the New York Yankees' 12-3 win over Texas.

Clay Bellinger led off the inning with an infield single, Luis Polonia walked and Derek Jeter hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop and Clayton bobbled the ball while trying to throw to second Texas was ahead 1-0 at the time.

Brian Sikorski (1-1) retired Paul O'Neill on a foulout and struck out Glenallen Hill, then walked Tino Martinez on four pitches, forcing in the tying run.

Jorge Posada hit a two-run single for a 3-1 lead, and Luis Sojo, Scott Brosius and Bellinger followed with consecutive RBI singles.

"I left a couple of pitches up to Posada, For some reason, I didn't get the ball down," said Sikorski, who beat the Yankees 5-0 last Wednesday in his major league debut.

Posada capped the a three-run fourth inning with his 23rd homer, a tworun drive that made it 9-1. Sikorski allowed nine runs just three earned and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings, and also made a throwing error.

The difference between this game and last Wednesday's?

"I think we saw the ball," Posada said. "That game in Texas, it was a 5 o'clock start and it was tough to see the ball. Today I think we took a little better approach because it wasn't the first time we were facing him."

Hernandez (9-10), meanwhile, won his first decision in five starts since beating the Mets on July 7. Hernandez, who has lost four consecutive decisions for the first time in his major league career, allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings as the Yankees improved to 8-1 against Texas this year with their 11th win in their last 12 games against the Rangers, including last year's playoffs.

"I've been saying for the last couple of outings, I feel good," he said. "Everyone hates to lose. It's good to win."

Jeter and Glenallen Hill also homered for New York. Hill has 11 in 56 at-bats since joining the Yankees on July 20.

Rafael Palmeiro hit a solo homer, his 31st, and Rusty Greer hit his sixth home run to account for the Rangers' first two runs.

Texas added another run in the seventh when former-Yankee Ricky Ledee singled and scored on Mike Lamb's triple to left, a ball lost in the sun by Polonia.

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