Arlington, TX (Best E Casino) - Marlon Byrd went 3-for-4 and scored three times while Chris Davis drove in four runs, as the Texas Rangers staved off a late comeback to edge the New York Yankees, 8-6, in the second installment of a four-game set.

Josh Hamilton chipped in a two-run homer for the Rangers, who have won three in a row and six of eight overall. David Murphy and Travis Metcalf drove in a run each in the win.

Matt Harrison (3-2) lasted 6 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs on five hits. Eddie Guardado worked around a leadoff walk to Derek Jeter in the ninth to secure his third save of the season.

Richie Sexson had a double and a grand slam for the Yankees, who have dropped two straight. Jeter and Johnny Damon knocked in a run each in defeat.

Andy Pettitte (12-9) took the loss as he surrendered five runs on six hits in five-plus innings. Pettitte also struck out five and walked three as the Yanks fell 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Rays in the AL East.

Down by six, the visitors rallied in the eighth inning off C.J. Wilson. The bases were loaded as Bobby Abreu walked, Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and Robinson Cano drew a walk. Sexson brought them all home, depositing the second pitch he saw to the seats in left-center field, notching his first homer as a Yankee, and pulling the team within 8-6.

It was all for naught, though, as the Yankees failed to pull any closer in the ninth.

Michael Young worked a two-out walk in the home first, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Hamilton's 27th homer of the season, a two-run shot.

Brandon Boggs led off the third with a triple and Metcalf hit a grounder to Cano, who couldn't field the ball, allowing the runner to score. Metcalf was later credited with an RBI.

Byrd opened the home fourth with a single and stole second base. Murphy's ground out moved the runner to third before Boggs walked and Davis offered a sacrifice fly to left to plate Byrd, making it 4-0.

Damon led off the sixth with a triple to deep right field and Jeter put New York on the board with a sac fly.

The Rangers got the run back in the home sixth, though. Byrd led off with a single and nabbed second. A Murphy base hit to right scored Byrd, put Texas up 5-1 and chased Pettitte in favor of David Robertson. He loaded the bases but got out of the jam when Ian Kinsler swung and missed on a 3-2 pitch for the second out and Gerald Laird whiffed to end the threat.

Cano was issued a one-out walk in the seventh and Sexson made it second and third with a double. Josh Rupe then came on in relief and walked pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Melky Cabrera popped up for the second out, but Damon was walked to force in Cano and make it 5-2.

The Rangers added three more runs in the home half as Byrd started a two-out rally with a walk. Murphy put runners on the corners with a single and Brian Bruney was then called in. Boggs was issued a walk to load the bases and Davis kept it going with a bases-clearing double, ballooning Texas' lead to 8-2.

Game Notes

Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla returned to Nicaragua to attend a family matter, he is expected to return for his start Saturday in Baltimore...Texas' Milton Bradley missed his seventh straight game with a strained left quadriceps...Yankees leftfielder Hideki Matsui, who has been out since June 22, hit in a batting cage at the team's facility in Tampa. He is hopeful he can return from a left knee injury prior to the season's end...Yankees oft- injured pitcher Carl Pavano will make a rehab start on Thursday for Double-A Trenton. Pavano last pitched in April of 2007 and has made only 19 starts since signing a $40 million, four-year deal with NY in 2005...Texas has won four of five from the Yankees this season.