(Sports Network) - The Yankees haven't lost their power since All-Star Alex Rodriguez landed on the disabled list. Even more important, they have been able to keep pace in the American League East.
New York takes aim at a fourth straight victory this evening when it continues a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium.
The Bronx Bombers got homers from three players in Monday's 11-5 victory as Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, who combined for six hits, went back-to-back in the third inning before Marcus Thames added a three-run homer in the fifth frame. Teixeira's blast was his 29th of the year, while Cano set a new career high with his 26th homer.
Teixeira returned to the lineup after missing Sunday's game with a bruised thumb.
Nick Swisher added three hits and three RBI for the Yankees, who improved to 6-3 since Rodriguez landed on the disabled list with a strained left calf on Aug. 21. New York, which hasn't won four in a row since a seven-game win streak from July 3-9, also remained tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the division.
Javier Vazquez picked up his 10th win of the season after throwing 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball in relief of Dustin Moseley, who yielded four runs over the first 4 1/3 frames.
"It feels great to help the team however I can and it feels great to get this win," Vazquez said. "All my pitches were working pretty well."
Jeff Larish went 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBI for the Athletics, who had a two-game win streak snapped and fell to 4-3 on a 10-game road trip. Larish hit a two-run single in the first frame that staked the A's to an early 3-0 lead, homered in the fourth and notched a run-scoring double in the eighth.
Trevor Cahill came into the game with a 0.92 earned run average in August, but gave up a season-high eight runs over four innings of work as Oakland fell 8 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Texas.
"They're obviously a good team and I definitely didn't have my best stuff today," a disappointed Cahill said. "Either way, they are a good hitting team, you have to give them credit."
The Athletics will try to get on track tonight behind Vin Mazzaro, who is winless over his last six starts, going 0-4 despite a solid 3.89 ERA.
The 23-year-old righty lost in Cleveland on Thursday, yielding three runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings. He fell to 6-6 on the year in 19 games (16 starts) with a 3.61 ERA.
Mazzaro is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two career starts versus the Yankees, allowing seven earned runs over 9 1/3 frames.
New York starter Phil Hughes will also be looking to get back into the win column after he had a string of two straight winning starts halted on Wednesday in Toronto. The righty was charged with five runs on six hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings, marking the first time this year the 24-year- old failed to pitch at least five innings.
Hughes fell to 15-6 with a 4.12 ERA this year and made his first career start versus the A's on April 21 after three previous relief outings against them. Hughes earned the victory in the start, holding Oakland to just one hit and two walks over 7 1/3 innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts.
The Yankees are 6-1 against Oakland in 2010 and 17-3 in the past 20 games in this series.