(Reuters) – Mark Teixeira drove in five runs with two home runs and the New York Yankees beat the visiting Los Angeles Angels 6-5 behind a four-run eighth inning rally on Friday.
Los Angeles had led 5-2 before Teixeira homered to left with Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson on base in the eighth to tie the score. Five batters later, catcher Russell Martin drove in the winning run with a single to right.
“It was a fun way to end the game,” Martin, who had been in a big hitting slump before the All-Star Game break, told reporters. “I’ve never done that before.”
Teixeira also had a two-run homer in the third inning for the American League-leading Yankees.
“Down three runs with their bullpen, not a lot of teams come back, and we did tonight,” said Teixeira.
Four of the Angels’ five runs came on homers.
Erick Aybar put Los Angeles ahead with a solo homer in the top of the third and Mark Trumbo’s three-run blast in the seventh inning made it 4-2.
“It’s a tough one to stomach,” Trumbo said after the loss. “In this ballpark, there’s really no lead that’s safe.”
Albert Pujols drove in the other Los Angeles run with a double in the eighth.
Chad Qualls, who faced two batters in the eighth inning, picked up the win for New York after relieving Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.
Kuroda gave up five runs and eight hits in seven-plus innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.
Scott Downs took the loss, yielding all four runs in the eighth.
Starter C.J. Wilson had checked the Yankees on five hits and two runs before being taken out after seven innings. He had seven strikeouts and two walks.
(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
