ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Derek Holland is still looking for his first career victory against the New York Yankees.

Holland, the 25-year-old Texas Rangers left-hander who got a $28.5 million, five-year contract extension this spring, gave up seven runs over six innings in a 7-4 loss Monday night.

Advertisement

It was the most runs given up this season by Texas, which went into the opener against New York after winning its first five series.

``They're a good ballclub, but at the same time they have to face our lineup, too,' Holland said. ``I don't really read into that much (struggling against New York).'

Holland (2-1) allowed nine hits with four walks and one strikeout. He is 0-5 with a 9.26 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) against the Yankees.

``He's been very consistent. That's a pretty good lineup,' Rangers manager Ron Washington said. ``They do their business in that batter's box. They pick their spots and make you pay. And they made us pay tonight.'

Derek Jeter had four hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia (2-0) pitched eight innings for the Yankees, who have won 10 of 13 since being swept in three games at Tampa Bay to start the season.

New York led for good after Curtis Granderson blooped a two-out single to drive in two runs in the first.

``Derek's a great pitcher, he's going to have a great season. The Yankees had some good at_bats,' Texas teammate Michael Young said. ``He's getting to be a real professional now. So, he'll make his adjustments, watch his film, so he'll be ready to make his next start.'

Josh Hamilton homered for the Rangers.

Sabathia struck out eight in his 11th career win against the two-time defending American League champion Rangers.

The big left-hander was pitching with an extra day of rest after the Yankees' scheduled series finale at Boston was rained out Sunday night, a day after New York overcame a 9-0 deficit for a 15-9 win over the Red Sox.

After a pair of six-inning outings with no-decisions to start the season, Sabathia has won his last two starts.

``That's more CC-like. That's what we're used to seeing,' manager Joe Girardi said. ``I liked what I saw those last four innings against the Twins, and he carried it over today.'

Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Hamilton's AL-leading eighth homer was a 422-foot solo shot to right-center in the sixth to get Texas within 7-2. The homer came a couple of pitches after his bat flew out of his hands on a swing and landed in the front row of seats past the Rangers dugout.

Before that homer, Hamilton was 1 for 15 with six strikeouts in his career against Sabathia.

No Rangers player had ever reached eight homers quicker in a season - Hamilton's came in the 17th game. Rodriguez needed 18 games to hit his eighth homer in 2002, his second of three seasons in Texas, when he went on to hit a career-best 57 homers.

Ian Kinsler led off the Rangers first with a single and scored when Hamilton grounded into a double play. Craig Gentry had a two-run double in the seventh.

A-Rod hit a three-run homer, his third this season and No. 632 in his career, in the fifth for a 6-1 lead. Jeter added an RBI double in the sixth.

It was the 42nd career four-hit game for Jeter, who is batting .450 (27 for 60) during his hitting streak and raised his season average to .411.

All of his hits came in the first six innings against Holland before he struck out in the ninth against Koji Uehara, who struck out two of the three batters he faced after Mark Lowe pitched two scoreless innings.

No. 9 batter Chris Stewart drew a leadoff walk in the Yankees fifth and scored on Nick Swisher's sacrifice fly. Rodriguez homered later in that inning.

``The walks really killed me. I didn't give my defense anything to play with. I felt like I got my defense on its heels. I didn't do a good job attacking the zone,' Holland said. ``The leadoff walk to Stewart was huge. When you're behind in the count, you're not helping your team.'

NOTES: Yu Darvish (2-0) makes his second home start for Texas on Tuesday night against Hiroki Kuroda (1-2). It will be the seventh matchup of Japanese starting pitchers in major league history, the first since Kuroda was with the Dodgers and faced Hisanori Takahashi of the Mets on July 22, 2010. ... Sabathia is 4-0 in five starts against Texas during his four seasons with New York.