Yankees pound Rangers, who look like sellers as trade deadline nears

If there was any debate still circulating around the Texas Rangers’ front office as to whether the club was a buyer or seller as Friday’s trade deadline approaches, perhaps Tuesday’s meltdown made it more clear.

The New York Yankees scored 11 runs in the second inning en route to a 21-5 blowout over the Rangers at Globe Life Park.

It’s the most runs scored by any team this season and the most runs scored in an inning by the Yankees since they scored 12 in July 2011. It’s the most runs allowed in an inning by the Rangers this season, and the Yankees’ 19 hits were also the most allowed by Texas this year.

“After you put five runs on the board that’s not what you’re looking for,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “I guarantee you they feel this, everyone of them. They’ll wear it, they’ll wash it off, and they’ll come back tomorrow ready to play.”

By all accounts, it was a disaster for a Rangers team whose postseason hopes were already hanging by a thread.

They’re now five games under .500 and eight games behind the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels in the American League West. They’re also at the bottom of an eight-team scramble for a wild-card berth.

In short, the Rangers, rumored to be among those vying to land Phillies ace Cole Hamels, look more like a team suited for selling — not buying — for the playoff race.

Starter Martin Perez was knocked out of the game before recording an out in the second inning, and Wandy Rodriguez, who relieved him, struggled nearly as much. Perez and Rodriguez combined to allow 15 runs on 13 hits in two innings.

“We struggled the whole night with the strike zone,” said Banister. “We gave up 15 freebies [10 walks, two catcher's interference, two hit batters and an error]. It was across the board. It wasn’t just one guy.”

Rodriguez failed to record an out in the third before Phil Klein took over. Klein pitched three innings and was relatively heroic for holding New York to just one unearned run, thanks to a fielding error by shortstop Elvis Andrus in the fourth.

The Yankees added three more runs on three hits against Spencer Patton in the sixth.

How bad did it get for the Rangers? Infielder Adam Rosales pitched the ninth. It’s his second appearance on the mound this season. Brett Gardner’s two-run homer off Rosales made it 21-5.

It’s the fifth time in Rangers history they’ve allowed 20 or more runs in a game — last time was a 21-8 loss to the Mariners in 2012. The most runs allowed in a game by the Rangers was 23 at Oakland on Sept. 30, 2000.

All of this carnage came after a five-run first inning in which Texas knocked Yankees starter Chris Capuano from the game after recording just two outs by batting around with three hits and five walks. The Rangers’ offense, however, was done for the night.

The Yankees bullpen held Texas hitless over the final eight innings. Diego Moreno, who took over for Capuano in the first, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. He walked one and stuck out five to earn his first-career win. Adam Warren earned his first-career save by pitching three perfect innings.

The final 19 Rangers batters were retired.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 11:33 PM with the headline "Yankees pound Rangers, who look like sellers as trade deadline nears."