ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers rookie Robbie Ross makes his way to the bullpen before each game wearing a kiddie cowboy vest and hat while carrying a pink backpack and plush stuffed horse. Jared Crick Womens Jersey . Theres nothing kid-like about the way the 22-year-old left-hander is pitching. Ross worked 2 2-3 perfect innings in relief for his AL-best fourth victory and the Rangers beat the New York Yankees 7-3 on Wednesday night, winning their sixth consecutive series to start a season for the first time in franchise history. "Hes doing the job, he has no fear, he throws the ball over the plate," manager Ron Washington said. As for the two-time defending American League champion Rangers (15-4) having the best record in the majors, Washington said, "Were just playing complete baseball." Adrian Beltre hit one of the Rangers three homers and a pair of RBI singles. Mile Napoli and Mitch Moreland also homered. After Scott Feldman gave up two runs in 3 1-3 innings of a spot start, Ross retired all eight batters he faced with two strikeouts. The Rangers said Ross (4-0) is the first pitcher in the majors since at least 1918 to earn four relief wins in his first six career appearances. He hasnt allowed an earned run in his eight innings, either. "I didnt expect anything like this," said Ross, who wasnt even really in the teams plans for this season until an impressive spring. Ross is getting noticed for more than the cowboy get-up put together by veteran pitchers that he has to put on before each game to walk from the dugout to the bullpen. "Im totally fine with that as long as I can be here," he said. "Im just enjoying it so far, soaking it all in and trying to remember whats going good right now." Texas was ahead to stay after Beltre led off the second against Phil Hughes (1-3) with his third homer, a 441-foot drive that landed high on the grassy hill in straightaway centre field. Beltres first run-scoring single came an inning later when Texas added three more runs. "We believe he can do it and I know he believes he can do, but right now sometimes the ball runs back a little bit, he leaves the curveball up a little bit. Cutter sometimes isnt getting where he wants it," manager Joe Girardi said of Hughes. "It is frustrating, but you have to keep working at it." Hughes was gone after hitting the next batter, though the inside pitch only skimmed the wind-blown jersey of Nelson Cruz, who didnt seem to realize what had happened until home plate umpire Brian Runge stepped out and pointed toward first base. The Rangers have won 12 consecutive regular season series overall, dating back to last year. New York had won six road games in a row after their 7-4 victory in the series opener at Texas. But the Yankees have now lost consecutive games for the first time since getting swept in three games at Tampa Bay to start the season. Derek Jeter had two more hits, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. He raised his average to .420 and his majors-leading hits total to 34. Napoli led off the fourth with his seventh homer. That came off David Phelps, who gave up a leadoff shot to Moreland two innings later before Beltre had another RBI single. Raul Ibanez drove in two runs for the Yankees, including a solo homer that landed deep in the second deck of seats in right field off Neftali Feliz to start the seventh. Feliz, the closer-turned-No. 5 starter, pitched an inning of relief since the Rangers are skipping his turn in the rotation since his scheduled day to pitch was Thursday. It was the first relief appearance for Feliz since his blown save in Game 6 of the World Series, when Texas was twice within a strike of a championship-clinching victory before losing. Texas led 4-0 after 2 2-3 innings against Hughes, whose season ERA increased from 6.75 to 7.88. The big right-hander allowed five hits, struck out two and then hit two batters in his last inning. Hughes had allowed only three hits in 15 1-3 scoreless innings his previous three regular-season appearances against Texas -- all at Rangers Ballpark. His first major league victory came there in May 2007, when he threw 6 1-3 scoreless innings in his second major league start. But there were also those two AL championship series games in Texas since, when Hughes allowed 11 runs in 8 2-3 innings to lose both in 2010. "Something has to change. I just have to keep working hard. Thats all I can do. I feel good with the stuff Im throwing," Hughes said. "Every outing like this is disappointing. Its tough to deal with, you just hope things get better before they get worse." NOTES: Andy Pettitte, the 39-year-old LHP working on a comeback to the Yankees rotation after a year hiatus, allowed three earned runs and seven singles in five-plus innings for Double-A Trenton. He threw 59 of 81 pitches for strikes. ... Yankees RHP Michael Pineda will miss the entire season because of a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. He will have arthroscopic surgery Tuesday. ... All three games against the Yankees were sellouts. The Rangers have already sold every reserved seat for all three games this weekend against the Rays. Johnathan Joseph Womens Jersey . Thea Culley, Brienne Stairs and Stephanie Jameson scored for the Canadians (1-1-3), who were already out of contention for a London Olympic berth in the six-country tournament. Garrett Graham Womens Jersey . -- The linebacker with 100 per cent attendance says theres a 99 per cent chance hes done. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday for the first time in his seven-year career because of a swollen muscle in his left upper back. The 26-year-old left-hander, coming off his second Cy Young Award in three years, already had been scratched from his scheduled start in San Diego on Sunday after an MRI revealed the problem. Kershaw was on a throwing progression program and was tossing the ball at different distances Saturday before the teams Freeway Series finale against the Angels when he experienced some discomfort on his 27th throw. "He felt it, and that was the last straw," manager Don Mattingly said. "So at that point, we knew we couldnt have gone any farther and that it was a DL situation. Its a situation -- not just for me, but for everyone -- that weve got to save Clayton from Clayton at this point and be cautious. We cant allow him to try to keep pushing and go forward. If it was up to him, Im sure hed want to go farther. But we cant allow him to do that right now." Kershaw, who signed a $215 million, seven-year contract on Jan. 15, won the Dodgers season opener 3-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia last weekend. The three-time All-Star was hoping to get back in the rotation for Fridays home opener against San Francisco, but instead it will be Hyun-Jin Ryu, who also will get the assignment Sunday at San Diego against Andrew Cashner. Ryu started and won the second game of the Australia trip, but tore a toenaill while running the bases that day and wasnt sure hed be able to fill in for Kershaw until after his side session Friday. Jadeveon Clowney Jersey. "I think that once Clayton felt something, he knew that he wasnt going to make his start on Friday," Mattingly said. "With his throwing progression, the fact that he stopped right away is all weve asked of him from the beginning: If you feel it at all, youve got to stop. And he stopped right away." Kershaw has made 33 starts, struck out at least 229 batters and logged 227 2/3 innings or more in each of the last three seasons -- including a career-high 236 innings last year, when he finished 16-9 with an NL-best 232 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA. Kershaw led the majors in ERA for the third straight year, becoming the first pitcher to accomplish that feat since newly elected Hall of Famer Greg Maddux did it from 1993-95. Now that Kershaws run at a fourth straight ERA title has been adjourned for the time being, Mattingly wasnt making any predictions on when he will return to the rotation. The Dodgers have five off days scheduled between now and April 15. "This is not something that we say, OK, we think hell be ready by this date -- and if he doesnt get there, then its like, Oh, Claytons had a setback," Mattingly said. "We should just let it do what its supposed to do and let the medical staff do their work let them tell us what he could do. "And because of all the days off we have and the schedule we have, its really not worth pushing him." ' ' '
