"A team in dire need of something, anything to end a three-game bender, will take help from any locker.

And with all the stars in the Yankees' universe, the smart money would have been on Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter delivering last night.

Instead, it was rookie right-hander Ivan Nova and center fielder Curtis Granderson who played the big parts in the Yankees' 4-1 win over the Rangers in front of 49,069 at Rangers Ballpark.

"We needed a lift after losing three in a row in Detroit," manager Joe Girardi said.

Nova, backed by two home runs from Granderson (a two-run blast into the second deck in right-center in the first and a solo shot in the seventh), fed the Rangers ground balls that were inhaled by the Yankees' infielders.

Of the 22 outs Nova recorded in a career-high 7 1/3 innings, 16 were on the ground.

"I know I am not a big strikeout pitcher," Nova said "I don't have to think about striking everybody out. I have to make my pitches."

Nova (3-2) allowed two hits and an unearned run to win his second straight. Of the 98 pitches he threw, 62 were strikes and just two of them came on missed swings.

His third straight solid start came against the defending AL champions, who were without reigning league MVP Josh Hamilton and right fielder Nelson Cruz. Also, the Rangers got home from Seattle at 5:30 a.m. (CDT) yesterday."