Texas falls to A-Rod, Yankees, 6-2

WOW - THAT'S A BIT HARSH - A Texas Rangers fan holds a sign as New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez bats in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, July 24, 2006, in Arlington. Rodriguez struck out swinging in the at bat, but otherwise, had a good night, getting a pair of hits and scoring as the Yankees defeated A-Rod's former club, 6-2. ARLINGTON (AP) - Alex Rodriguez looked more like himself in his return to Texas.

The slumping two-time AL MVP had two hits, scored the go-ahead run and was error-free in the field in the New York Yankees' 6-2 victory over the Rangers on Monday night.

"He had good at-bats, he hit good pitches. He had a good night," manager Joe Torre said. "Now the key is just to put something together. And it doesn't have to be hits. The quality of the at-bats is something he's looking to have right now."

Lustily booed by the fans of his former team - the one that gave him the record $252 million contract - Rodriguez snapped an 0-for-11 streak with a single in the fourth and then scored the go-ahead run.

"I liked the seventh better," Rodriguez said, referring to his RBI double. "I've been feeling better. I've was swinging a little too hard in Toronto, trying to do too much. It was nice to contribute to win."

Rodriguez finished 2-for-5. He has only six hits his last 32 at-bats, and on Saturday he struck out four times in a game for the first time since 1995.

Randy Johnson (11-8) struck out seven to win the matchup of the last two pitchers to throw nohitters. Like Kevin Millwood (10-6), Johnson pitched only six innings.

Johnson threw 101 pitches, allowing two runs and seven hits with two walks. The 42-year-old threw 129 pitches in his last start Wednesday, when he struck out a season-high 11 in a loss to Seattle.

"Tonight was the residual of that game. My slider wasn't as effective," Johnson said. "I gave up too many hits. ... It's a game I'm glad is over. Getting through today was the biggest thing."

There have been more than 5,700 major league games since Johnson's perfect game for Arizona against Atlanta on May 18, 2004. Millwood threw his no-hitter for Philadelphia against San Francisco on April 27, 2003.

Millwood allowed five runs, two earned. He struck out two and walked two.

"I'm not very satisfied," Millwood said. "I felt like there were some opportunities if I made one pitch, I get out of the inning."

Rodriguez, the converted Gold Glove shortstop who had five errors in a five-game stretch at third base last week, cleanly fielded the three balls hit his way by the Rangers - two of them infield singles.

"He looked very comfortable," Torre said. "Maybe it's just being familiar in this ballpark."

A-Rod played in Texas from 2001-03, winning the AL MVP for a last-place team his final season before being traded to the Yankees just before spring training in 2004. Rodriguez is in the sixth season of his 10-year contract.

Buck Showalter missed his second consecutive game, a precaution advised by a team doctor after the Texas manager sat out a game in Chicago and spent a night in the hospital for dehydration. Showalter had said two hours before the game that he planned to be on the bench.