Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Mark Teixeira went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs batted in, as the New York Yankees outlasted the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, 10-6, in the finale of a brief two-game set.
Rookie Colin Curtis added a pinch-hit three-run homer -- his first in the majors -- for the Yankees, who were able to earn a split in the series and have won 11 of their last 14 overall. Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer, while Juan Miranda had a solo shot in the win.
"Momentum changes are very evident in a game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Give those guys some credit. They swung the bat well and (Scot) Shields couldn't get through the seventh inning and obviously put the game in a little different light."
Javier Vazquez (8-7) yielded five runs on nine hits and struck out one without issuing a walk in five-plus innings to earn the victory. The veteran right- hander improved to 5-2 in a nine-start span that began on June 1.
Bobby Wilson and Hideki Matsui each clubbed two-run homers for Los Angeles, which had won four of five coming into the contest.
Joel Pineiro (10-7) was saddled with the loss after getting roughed up for 11 hits and six runs over six frames. The right-hander walked two and fanned five.
New York plated a first-inning run to grab the early lead. Derek Jeter led off with a single, and Teixeira doubled two batters later to put runners on second and third. Alex Rodriguez's groundout to shortstop brought in Jeter.
The Yankees added four more in the third. Jeter again started the inning with a single, and Nick Swisher doubled, leaving runners on second and third. Teixeira stepped in and roped a base hit to center that scored both, and, two batters later, Cano cracked a two-run shot to center to make it 5-0.
Teixeira's run-scoring two-bagger in the fourth put the Yankees up by six, and Los Angeles answered with three runs in the fifth. Juan Rivera doubled leading off the inning and scored on Kevin Frandsen's base hit. Wilson then cracked a two-run homer to left.
In the sixth, Matsui belted a two-run homer to right to cut the Angels' deficit to one, 6-5, and the Yankees avoided further trouble. David Robertson took the mound in place of Vazquez and proceeded to load the bases with two outs before getting Howie Kendrick to line out to right.
Joba Chamberlain worked out of a two-out bases loaded jam in the seventh, and the Yankees got some insurance in the home half. Miranda hit a one-out homer to center, and Curtis Granderson and Francisco Cervelli followed with back-to- back singles.
Brett Gardner stepped to the plate and was ejected after the count ran 0-2 for arguing balls and strikes. Curtis replaced him and hammered a Scot Shields offering into the right-field seats to increase the lead to 10-5.
"A lot of excitement," Curtis said about his home run. "You see it go out and it's the first one of your career in a big situation and I was really excited."
Bobby Abreu's RBI groundout in the eighth got the Angels a run closer, but Mariano Rivera took the hill for New York in the ninth and retired the side in order to finish off the win.
These teams split eight meetings this season...Pineiro, who had seven consecutive wins in eight starts coming in, fell to 3-5 in 19 lifetime appearances (10 starts) against the Yankees...Jeter went 3-for-5 with three runs scored...New York finished 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven, while LA went 4-for-12 with RISP and left 10...Teixeira has reached base safely in 37 straight games.