Andy making Yankees History (LS/Bill Menzel)

Bronx, New York - Andy Pettitte (11-6, 4.18) gave up two runs in seven innings to earn career win number 189 as a Yankee – tying Lefty Gomez for the 3rd highest win total in franchise history – in a 9-2 New York Yankees (79-47) victory against the Texas Rangers (70-55). Pettitte took an important step towards reminding us that he is what Ron Guidry was in 1970s and early 80s; what Whitey Ford was to the Yankees in the 50s and early 60s; and what Red Ruffing and the aforementioned Gomez was during the dynastic 1930s: a perennial force in the New York Yankees' starting rotation.

Pettitte has played 11 of the 14 years with the New York Yankees and at 37 is one year removed from a frustrating 2008 season that saw him crumble in the second half, the contrast between that and the 2009 campaign has been, according the lefty starter, "like night and day."

"Nobody likes it when you're losing and scuffling, and last year I was hurt, but with this club I'm just not gonna lose," said Pettitte. "The guys are really swinging the bats well, and we're playing with a lot of confidence – and we should be."

"After last night, we got real close to coming back in the ninth, but tonight Andy shut their offense down," said Girardi of his starter. "Andy's gonna fight you with everything he's got. He's been really big for us."

Getting run support doesn't hurt, either. The Yankees struck in the first inning when Jorge Posada hit his 17th homer to left-center –  a three-run jack off Texas rookie starter Derek Holland (L, 7-7, 4.72) that gave them a quick 3-0 lead. Jerry Hairston Jr. added a homer of his own (10), his second as a Yankee, in the fourth inning to put the Yanks up 4-0.

Jorge Posada's 17 HR gave Andy a 3 run lead (LS/Bill Menzel)

Pettitte, a Houston, Texas native, held his home town team down, especially everyone not named David Murphy, who knocked in both of the Rangers' runs. Murphy got the visiting team on the board in the fourth when he drove in 1B Chris Davis with an RBI double to right-center. In the seventh, Murphy cut the Bombers' lead in half with a 2-out solo shot (12) to the Yankee bullpen off Pettitte to make it 4-2 - a shot that snapped a 49.2 innings streak in which Pettitte had not allowed a homerun.

David Murphy, no relation to Daniel, knocked in both Rangter runs (LS/Bill Menzel)

Yet the blast failed to fluster the Yankee veteran, who quickly recovered to retire Elvis Andrus swinging to end the top of the seventh, and his night on the mound to a well-earned encomium from a crowd of 46,461 spectators.

"It's awesome tying Gomez, one of the all-time great New York Yankees," said Pettitte, who has a career record of 226-133. "Fortunately, this year I've been healthy, and there is just a lot of confidence on this team right now, that's for sure.

A night like tonight I felt like I could hit my spots, and if I'm healthy I know I can help the team out."

Jerry Hairston Jr. homered and would later score on a Jeter two-run single (LS/Bill Menzel)

In the bottom half of the seventh, the Yankee bats came out storming, as Robinson Cano and Jerry Hairston Jr. scored on Derek Jeter's two-run single off relief pitcher Jason Jennings, who inherited both runners before his error on Melky Cabrera's attempted sac bunt allowed the Yanks to load the bases moments earlier. Nick Swisher, hitting second in the batting order, smacked an RBI double to right, further augmenting the lead to 7-2. And finally, not to be outdone by the Yankee captain, who made good on the "MVP" chants during his at-bat with a clutch hit, Mark Teixeira capped the 5-run, seventh inning rally by knocking in two runs of his own with a screaming line drive to the Sony sign in right, making it 9-2 - the game's final score.

Josh Hamilton has gotten 7 hits in last two games at the stadium (LS/Bill Menzel)

Two of the five runs in the seventh (Cano and Hairston) were charged to Derek Holland (L, 7-8, 4.95), who took the loss after pitching 6 innings (plus the two batters), in which he allowed 7 hits, 6 runs (all earned) and 2 homers. The rest of the damage the Yankees inflicted in the seventh was at the expense of Jason Jennings, who got knocked around for 3 hits and 3 runs (2 earned). 

Derek Jeter is batting .333 and had two RBI (LS/Bill Menzel)

Brian Bruney and Phil Coke came in to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, to preserve what ended up being a one-sided affair for the Bombers, who remain six games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East, themselves 3-2 victors over the Chicago White Sox earlier in the day.

A double Play in motion (LS/Bill Menzel)

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