Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees tagged Trevor Cahill for the second time this season, emphatically ending the All-Star's run of pitching excellence in an 11-5 rout of the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.
Marcus Thames hit a three-run shot to extend his home run streak and New York (81-50) got back-to-back long balls from Teixeira and Cano to move a season-best 31 games over .500. Nick Swisher added three hits and three RBIs, including a two-run double in the first inning that helped the Yankees erase a 3-0 deficit.
Still, they couldn't shake Tampa Bay atop the AL East. The Yankees and Rays, who beat Toronto 6-2, remained tied for first place for the eighth straight day.
The Yankees said that's the longest stretch that two major league teams have been tied for first this late in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Demoted starter Javier Vazquez (10-9) replaced Dustin Moseley in the fifth and earned his second win in three relief outings this year. Aided by Derek Jeter's fine play at shortstop, Vazquez allowed one run and two hits while striking out six in the final 4 2-3 innings.
Jeff Larish homered and drove in four runs for the A's, who fell to 4-18 against the Yankees over the past three years -- including 1-6 this season.
Oakland began the day with the AL's best ERA at 3.48, but that was before running into New York's high-powered offense. The Yankees scored 11 times in the first five innings to chase Cahill (14-6) after he entered 5-1 with a 0.77 ERA in six starts since July 28. The sinkerballer gave up eight earned runs and nine hits, both season highs, in four-plus innings -- his shortest outing of the year.
Cahill was touched up for six runs by New York in six innings of a 6-1 loss at home July 6, when Alex Rodriguez hit a grand slam and a solo homer off the right-hander.
Rodriguez, on the disabled list with a strained left calf, wasn't even a threat Monday night -- but the Yankees have hardly missed a beat when he's out, going 16-3 without the three-time MVP this season.
Teixeira returned to the lineup after sitting out Sunday's victory over the Chicago White Sox with a bruised right thumb. The slugger certainly looked healthy, reaching base safely all four times up with a single, double, homer and walk.
With two outs in the third, the Yankees snapped a 3-all tie when Teixeira and Cano hit consecutive line drives just over the short porch in right. It was Cano's career-high 26th homer this season, surpassing his total from last year.
No. 9 batter Ramiro Pena added an RBI single with two outs in the fourth, then Jeter turned in a difficult play to preserve a 6-4 lead in the fifth. With runners at the corners and two outs, he made a backhand pickup and one-hopped a jump throw to first to get Kevin Kouzmanoff by a half-step.
New York broke it open as the first five batters reached safely in the bottom half. Teixeira led off with a double and scored on Cano's single, which chased Cahill. Swisher hit an RBI double off Henry Rodriguez, Jorge Posada was hit by a pitch and Thames drove a three-run shot into the second deck in left, just inside the foul pole.
It was Thames' sixth home run in his last five starts.
Teixeira, Cano and Swisher, New York's 3-4-5 hitters, went 8 for 9 with five extra-base hits and seven RBIs through the first five innings as the Yankees got off to a big start in the opener of a 10-game homestand, their longest this season.
Notes: Oakland LHP Brett Anderson threw his bullpen session without a problem and is on track to start Wednesday night. Anderson left his previous outing early with a hyperextended right knee. ... Larish started in left field for the second consecutive day. Before that, he had never played the outfield as a pro in a regular-season game. ... RHP Vin Mazzaro said he has a pass list of 30 and expects about 80 family members and friends to be in attendance Tuesday night when he starts for Oakland. The 23-year-old Mazzaro, who also pitched at Yankee Stadium last season, grew up in nearby Rutherford, N.J. "Giants Stadium in my backyard," he said. Mazzaro lost 6-3 to CC Sabathia last July in a game delayed more than 2 1/2 hours by rain. "I was a different pitcher back then. I've learned a lot the past year," Mazzaro said.
