Yankees rally in 8th to beat Texas in Game 1 of ALCS

ARLINGTON, Texas — The New York Yankees scored five runs in the eighth inning and then held off a threatened Texas comeback to beat the Rangers 6-5 on Friday in the opening game of the American League Championship Series. The Rangers had built a 5-0 lead and looked like finally winning their first ever home playoff game but New York had other ideas. Robinson Cano hit a solo homer in the seventh to begin the Yankees' comeback. In the eighth, Brett Gardner's headfirst dive for an infield hit started the big rally. Texas threatened in the ninth against ace Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, putting a runner on second with one out. But Rivera struck out Michael Young and retired Josh Hamilton on a grounder to end the game. New York has won 10 consecutive postseason games against the Rangers, who were knocked out of the playoffs by the Yankees in their only three previous playoffs appearances (1996, 1998 and 1999). Texas — which won the AL Division Series over Tampa Bay with three road wins and two home losses — is 0-7 in home playoff games, five of those losses to the Yankees. The Yankees became the first team to win a postseason game after trailing by at least four runs in the eighth since the 2005 Houston Astros, according to STATS LLC. Hamilton's three-run homer off C.C. Sabathia in the first put Texas ahead, and only a fortunate bounce on what could've been a bases-loaded wild pitch later in the inning stopped the Rangers from getting more. Texas' C.J. Wilson, the crafty lefty reliever-turned starter, blanked the Yankees through six innings before Cano's homer started things going awfully wrong for the Rangers. Gardner, the speedy ninth-place hitter, led off the eighth with an infield hit and Derek Jeter followed with an RBI double to end the night for Wilson. Darren Oliver, the only player who had been in a playoff game with Texas before this season, came in with a 5-2 lead and walked the only two batters he faced. New York's Alex Rodriguez, who had already struck out twice and made a fielding error to the delight of his former Texas fans, hit a hard grounder that hopped over Young's glove at third base. The single came against Darren O'Day, who faced only one batter and took the loss. Cano, who had homered an inning earlier, then had an RBI single off reliever Clay Rapada, who didn't face another batter. Marcus Thames followed with the single off Derek Holland that drove home A-Rod. Dustin Moseley, the second of four Yankees' relievers, struck out four in his two perfect innings. Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 42nd career postseason save, extending his major league record. He has allowed only one earned run over his past 21 postseason appearances (28 innings). New York pitcher Phil Hughes starts Game 2 for the Yankees on Saturday against Colby Lewis. – AP