NEW YORK -- As Mark Teixeira started to say goodbye, Gary Sanchez began to say hello. Custom Minnesota Twins Nike Jerseys .Teixeira got two hits after tearfully announcing this will be his final big league season, and the New York beat the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 13-7 Friday night with the help of Starlin Castros third-inning grand slam off Josh Tomlin.Two days after he was called up from the minors, Sanchez made his first league start behind the plate and threw out Jason Kipnis and Mike Napoli trying to steal second base in the first two innings.That arm, man, that a special arm right there, Teixeira said. Youre not going to have a lot of guys stealing on him if he keeps throwing like that. You just love seeing a 23-year-old with all the physical skills that you need to be a great player.Teixeira once had those skills. Slowed by injuries in the last five seasons, he said before the game he will retire after this season at age 36.He doubled in the first inning after warm ovation, then legged out a single in the third and took third on Brian McCanns double.It was special tonight, Teixeira said. I had a lot of the Indians come over and say congratulations and the umpires, just telling me that they enjoyed watching me and playing against me.Teixeira had finalized his decision at the All-Star break but kept it to himself and his family.I definitely have a little bit of a weight off my shoulders, he said.At .202, his batting average reached .200 for the first time since before play on May 20.It had to be really rewarding for the game that he had tonight, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.New York had 16 hits, including at least one by every starter, and the Yankees were not retired in order in any inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had his first four-hit game since May 3 last year, and Michael Pineda (6-10) won for the third time in four outings following a six-start winless streak, allowing four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.Sanchez, viewed as the Yankees catcher of the future, doubled in the fifth for his first big league RBI and walked with the bases loaded in the sixth. He has hits in all three games hes played for the Yankees this week, and throwing out the base-stealers boosted his psyche.You get confident from making two good throws like that and getting them out, he said through a translator.Sanchez has worked on his defense this year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre coach Jason Brown, and worked during spring training with former big league catcher Tony Pena.Hes always had a great arm, Girardi said. His exchange was quicker. ... He has the ability to throw a lot of runners out.McCann hit an RBI double in the third and, with runners at second and third, Tomlin intentionally walked Chase Headley. Two pitches later, Castro sent a cutter over the right-field scoreboard for his 12th homer this season and first career slam.Chris Gimenez, a .198 hitter coming in, hit a three-run homer in the Cleveland fifth.Tomlin (11-4) allowed a season-high seven earned runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings and is 3-3 in 10 outings since an 8-1 start. Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games, and its AL Central lead over second-place Detroit was cut to two gamesWe cant keep looking over our back and see whose trying to catch us, Tomlin said. If we keep winning games, then no one can catch us.STILL SITTINGEven with the big lead, the Yankees didnt use Alex Rodriguez, who has one start and seven at-bats since July 22. He is stuck at 696 career home runs.STREAKINGFrancisco Mejia, a 20-year-old Indians catching prospect, doubled in the first inning for Class A Lynchburg, extending his hitting streak to 47 games. The first 22 games of the streak were for Class A Lake County.UP NEXTLHP CC Sabathia (6-8) starts for the Yankees against his first big league club after going 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA in his last eight starts. RHP Corey Kluber (10-8), the 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner, starts for the Indians. Custom Baltimore Orioles Nike Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Los Angeles Angels Nike Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.co...ys-nike-jerseys .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. HOUSTON -- One night after struggling to contain one of the highest scoring guards in the NBA, the Rockets will get a second chance to shore up their defense when Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard pays a visit to Toyota Center on Thursday night.Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook torched Houston (6-5) for 30 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 105-103 Thunder victory. Westbrook entered the game second in the NBA in scoring (32 points per game) and assists (9.9), and pacing the NBA in usage rate at 41.4 percent.Lillard brings similar credentials, ranking fifth in scoring (29.8 points) and eighth in usage rate at 32.6 percent. But for all the success Westbrook had on Wednesday night and the potential for a similar eruption when they play host to Portland (7-5), the Rockets stumbled against the Thunder because their offense collapsed in the fourth quarter again.Houston has struggled with pace, scoring and shooting percentage in the fourth quarter this season and those issues were at the forefront of their loss to Oklahoma City. The Rockets posted just 13 points in the final period and were held scoreless between a Clint Capela dunk with 6:26 remaining and an Eric Gordon 3-pointer just prior to the buzzer. They missed nine consecutive shots during that stretch, adding to what has been a prevailing problem for an offense that oftentimes scores at will.We have that problem a little bit, Rockets coach Mike DAntoni said of holding the ball too long down the stretch of close games. I thought we got good shots. It might not have been your classic move the ball, move the ball, movve the ball but I thought we had some looks. Custom New York Yankees Nike Jerseys. The 3s they had looks at we had them and they made them and we missed them. Sometimes it just comes down to youve got to make shots and we just didnt do it.The Trail Blazers issues are defense and rebounding. They entered Wednesday 29th in scoring defense (111.2 points per game) and 27th in defensive rating. The Bulls ravaged Portland on Tuesday night while rolling to a 113-88 victory at Moda Center, finishing plus-18 on the glass. Chicago managed 19 offensive boards, par for the course with Portland ranking 29th in defensive rebounding rate at 72.3 percent.Our defensive rebounding is a concern, Portland coach Terry Stotts said. Its addressed and weve got to get better and focus on it.Similar to the Rockets, Portland leans on offensive might to carry the weight most nights. The Trail Blazers trailed 13-2 before recording their first basket with 6:48 left in the first quarter against the Bulls and were down 17 when someone other than C.J. McCollum scored a basket.Yet for all the concerns over defense and rebounding, the NBA remains a make-or-miss league. When the Rockets and Portland make shots, particularly from the perimeter, they are difficult for any defense to slow. When they dont, whether in the first or fourth quarter, problems arise.Were not a paint team. We rely on 3s, we rely on penetration, Stotts said. When youre struggling offensively in the first quarter there are going to be a lot of bloated numbers across the board. ' ' '