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Associated Press 6y

Profar 3-run double trumps 4 Yankees HRs in 12-10 Texas win

MLB, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Bronx Bombers are slugging homers at a record pace, and that still wasn't enough to beat last-place Texas.

Jurickson Profar had a bases-clearing double that put the Rangers ahead to stay in a wild 12-10 win Wednesday night, when New York hit four more homers to match a big league record with 21 long balls in a five-game stretch.

"If you look at the guys that are in our lineup, we can hit," said Yankees starter CC Sabathia, who allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings and squandered all of an early 4-0 lead. "We hit tonight, just got to pitch better."

Gleyber Torres became the youngest Yankee ever to homer in three consecutive games and Aaron Judge hit a 471-foot blast .

Torres, a 21-year-old second baseman playing in his 27th career game, and Judge both homered during a six-run fifth to put New York ahead 10-5. But the Rangers then scored twice in the bottom of the inning off Sabathia, and got Profar's three-run double in the sixth to make it 11-10 after reliever David Robertson (3-2) had already given up a bases-loaded walk.

"It gave us a lot of confidence," Profar said. "We're getting better, that's for sure. We're getting better every day, and we believe in ourselves. ... We haven't been showing at the end, but series like this show it."

Texas is 9-17 at home but took two of three against New York to win consecutive home series for the first time this season.

The Yankees (31-15) arrived in Texas with the best record in the majors. They had won eight consecutive series since splitting a two-game set against Miami in mid-April. But they are 5-5 overall since a 17-1 stretch.

"I've got to believe that there's a number of guys in that clubhouse, some young guys, some veteran guys, that gained a lot of confidence tonight. A lot of feel-good," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "At this point, it is against the Yankees, and where we're at."

Rangers rookie Ronald Guzman also homered in his third straight game, a three-run blast in the fourth after Sabathia had walked two batters following Nomar Mazara's two-run shot earlier in the inning, his 11th overall but first since a game-ending shot against Detroit two weeks ago.

Didi Gregorius and Neil Walker also went deep for the Yankees, who have at least three homers in five consecutive games for the first time in team history. The only other teams with 21 homers in a five-game span were the 1999 Reds and the 1977 Red Sox, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"We have a lot of power and guys are going up there and really grinding through at-bats," first-year manager Aaron Boone said. "I think when you do that consistently with the talent they have and the power they possess, home runs are a lot of times the result."

RANGERS HURLERS

Alex Claudio (2-2), the third of six Texas pitchers, struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Keone Kela struck out the side in a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 10 chances.

HOME RUN DERBY

The 19 homers (12 by the Yankees, seven by Texas) matched the most ever in a three-game series at the Rangers ballpark that opened in 1994. The only other time that happened was Aug. 1-3, 2003 when the Rangers had 13 homers and Cleveland six in a three-game set.

AFTER THE EJECTION

Boone said he got "got a lot of humorous, knucklehead" group texts from his friends after his first career ejection as a manager Tuesday night, for questioning balls and strikes. There was also the phone conversation with his father Bob, a former MLB manager and player. "He was, `Why'd you do that?' He was being sarcastic," said the younger Boone.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (right ankle surgery), who could make his season debut with the Yankees this weekend, homered in his rehab game at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... C Gary Sanchez was held out of the starting lineup after coming out of Tuesday night's game because of calf cramps. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

UP NEXT

Yankees: After completing only five games in 10 days since their last home game, the Yankees have the day off Thursday before a three-game weekend series at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

Rangers: RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx, who was 32 last May when he made his major league debut after 318 games over 12 minor league seasons, is set for his 2018 season debut in the opener of a four-game home series against Kansas City on Thursday night. He will be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock. Lefty Danny Duffy (1-6) is scheduled to start for the Royals.

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