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Monday’s game was a microcosm of the Yankees’ season, not pretty but ultimately effective. It took them almost four hours, but in the end the Yankees outlasted the Rangers 11-10. As a result, the Yankees are back in first place for the first time since April.

Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui all had home runs for the Yankees, but Ruben Sierra delivered the big hit, a two-run single that put the Yankees ahead for good in the eighth inning. Kevin Brown was lousy in four plus innings giving up six runs and ten hits. Scott Proctor and Wayne Franklin couldn’t seem to throw strikes forcing Joe Torre to use Tanyon Sturtze for two and a third innings of relief before turning the ball over to Mariano Rivera in the ninth.

Not all the news was good however. Ruben Sierra appeared to have torn his hamstring after his big hit and will probably be sent to the DL today. Bernie Williams dropped a fairly routine fly ball in the sixth inning that allowed Texas to tie the game. So, the Yankees will need to find another backup outfielder and continue their search for a defensive centerfielder.

Photo by Linda Kaye/AP via ESPN