ARLINGTON, Texas -- Brett Gardner got things started for the New York Yankees with a leadoff home run, then had three more hits after that. Kurtis MacDermid Kings Jersey . Despite all that and Mark Teixeiras two-run homer in his return to the starting lineup, the Yankees sweated it out until the very end before Gardner caught a flyball near the warning track in left field with the bases loaded for a 12-11 victory at Texas and overcome a seven-RBI game by J.P. Arencibia on Tuesday night. "It was a strange game, but it was great to get out of here with a win," manager Joe Girardi said. "It would have been a bad one to lose." The Yankees never trailed after Gardner reached base twice in a seven-run sixth inning. They led 10-4 before Arencibia, already with two doubles and a solo homer, hit a grand slam in the seventh. Texas scored twice off closer David Robertson, the fifth Yankees pitcher, and still had the bases loaded in the ninth after Elvis Andrus had a two-run single. Adrian Beltre hit a towering flyball that finally ended the game after 3 hours, 51 minutes. "It was about as bad as you can suck and still get one of the better hitters in the game out and not lose the ballgame," said Robertson, who got his 27th save in 29 chances. "If you look into that sixth inning, I dont think there were many people that thought we had a chance," manager Ron Washington said. "But we never quit, and we was one swing away with the right guy at the plate." Arencibia struck out to start the ninth, but still was the first Texas player with four extra-base hits since Josh Hamiltons four-homer game at Baltimore on May 8, 2012. The last player in the majors with at least seven RBIs in a loss was Jonathan Lucroy in 2012, when Milwaukee fell to the Cubs, STATS said. "Not enough," Arencibia said when asked to describe his game. Brandon McCarthy (3-0) went six innings for the Yankees, who have won all four of his starts since getting the big right-hander in a trade from Arizona on July 6. Teixeira, in his first start in nine games after a back strain, homered in the eighth to make it 12-8. He also walked three times and scored two other runs. Gardner, who went deep twice Monday off Yu Darvish, led off against rookie Nick Martinez (1-7) with his 13th homer. He added his second double to start the sixth and scored the first run in that rally. "He was hitting the ball hard before but getting outs," Girardi said. "Now hes hitting it out and hitting it down the lines." TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (shoulder), out since early May, threw 45 pitches in a bullpen session and is set to start an injury rehab assignment Sunday. Infielder Kelly Johnson (strained left groin) is expected to be ready to play when eligible to come off the DL on Aug. 7. Rangers: Nick Tepesch pulled himself out of his last start Saturday night because of left knee soreness, and now Texas will skip his next turn in the rotation Friday as a precaution. Jerome Williams starts Friday at Cleveland. ON DECK Yankees RHP Hiroki Kuroda, 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA in five career starts against Texas, pitches against Colby Lewis in the rubber game of the three-game set. The Rangers will try to end a string of seven consecutive series losses since taking two of three against Minnesota on June 27-29, also the last time they won consecutive games. GREAT GLOVE Gardner had a running, sliding catch on a ball that Shin-Soo Choo sliced into the left field corner leading off the third. I GOT IT -- NOT The final run in the Yankees sixth scored after Gardners flyball into the right-centre field ended up a three-base error. Right fielder Alex Rios was calling for the ball when he reached for it, but closed his glove too soon. The ball ricocheted off the back of his glove and then off the head of centre fielder Leonys Martin, who was also in pursuit. Martin said he never heard Rios calling for it. JETER JUSTICE Derek Jeter was initially called out in the sixth after his chopper that was deflected by Martinez and led to a barehanded grab and throw by shortstop Andrus. Girardi challenged, and replay showed that Jeter was safe for his second hit of the game and 3,422 of his career. Tyler Toffoli Kings Jersey . And, just for good measure, lets say the lottery team finishes the game short-handed because two starters come down with the very same injury. Kyle Clifford Jersey . The Wild, playing their first game since leading scorer Mikko Koivu broke his ankle Saturday at Washington, have won three straight for the first time since Nov. 1-5. Koivu underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks. http://www.kingsauthentic.com/authentic-alec-martinez-kings-jersey/ . Lauzon rushed for 42 yards on 15 carries for the Vert et Or (2-3) while quarterback Jeremi Roch completed 19-of-32 passes for 251 yards and one interception. Alexandre Aube scored the other touchdown for Sherbrooke. WASHINGTON -- If the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Bulls will have a nice little blueprint to follow. The Bulls dominated from the get-go Saturday night and never trailed in a 96-78 win over the Wizards, avenging two losses from earlier in the season and providing perhaps a psychological edge if these teams are cranking up for a seven-game series in a couple of weeks. "It was definitely a statement game," Washington forward Drew Gooden said. "We were going in the mindset of this being a statement game, getting a possible matchup in the first round, and they took it the same way. They wanted to make a statement early." And they certainly did, holding the Wizards to 16 points in the first quarter and 10 in the second while building a lead that grew as large as 28 points. At one point, Washington was 0 for 7 from the 3-point line and 0 for 3 from the free throw line for the game, as well as 2 for 13 from the field in the second period. "They were taking shots they didnt want to take," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. D.J. Augustin found plenty that he liked, as long as he was behind the arc. He led Chicago with 25 points, making 6 of 11 3-pointers but only 2 of 8 2-pointers. Joakim Noah had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer added 16 points for the Bulls, who have won five straight and are tied with the Toronto Raptors for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Augustin has averaged 19.8 points during the winning streak. Unlike the Wizards, who freely talked about a rematch in the playoffs, the Bulls didnt want to think that far ahead. "We lost to these guys at home. We lost to them here. It was just getting this win tonight," Augustin said. "Were not looking forward to the playoffs just yet, but we wanted to come out tonight and do it for ourselves." John Wall scored 20 points, and Marcin Gortat had 19 for the Wizards, who sit in sixth place in the East. If they hold that spot, they would face the third-seeded team. Several Washiington players cited fatigue as an issue on the back end of a back-to-back, but coach Randy Wittman noted that Chicago played Friday night as well. Kyle Clifford Kings Jersey. . It also didnt help that Trevor Ariza played through an illness and went 1 for 9 from the field. Wittman, however, said his team wasnt ready for the Bulls intensity and aggression. "You fight aggression with aggression," Wittman said. "And it was only a one-way fight tonight." One likely difference if the teams do meet again: Wizards forward Nene, out with a sprained left knee, is expected back for the playoffs. He played in the two early wins over the Bulls. "Nene gives us another facilitator," Wittman said. "And against a team like this you need another one. Nene was another guy that kind of can play like Noah does, up at the top with the ball in his hands. Thats not an excuse why we lost. Id love to have him back, though." The Wizards made a run in the third quarter, scoring more points (35) in the period than they had in the entire first half (26). Walls 30-foot bounce pass to Trevor Booker on a fast break led to a dunk that pulled Washington within 11 and brought the crowd to its feet. But Noah took over and quickly squashed the rally. His three-point play started a 12-0 run early in the fourth quarter that put the game away. "We wanted to throw the first punch tonight, and I think we did a good job with that," Noah said. "In the beginning of the game, we were the more aggressive team. Usually, the most aggressive team wins." Notes: Noah was naturally less than thrilled that his college, Florida, lost its game in the Final Four. He opened his postgame remarks by saying: "No questions about the Gators, sensitive issue." ... The Wizards finished 3 for 16 from 3-point range. ... As the team with the NBAs only Polish player (Gortat), the Wizards celebrated Polish Heritage Night. Polands ambassador to the U.S. made a presentation to Gortat before tipoff. ... The Wizards recalled G Glen Rice from Iowa of the D-League. ' ' '