"At least Curtis Granderson isn't in a slump.

Granderson belted two home runs, rescuing an otherwise lifeless lineup in a 4-1 win over the struggling Texas Rangers Friday night.

The center fielder had been slated to hit ninth before Nick Swisher was scratched with a bad head cold, a development that wound up working out well.

While the rest of the Yankee hitters remained mired in quicksand, the Bombers also received an exciting performance from Ivan Nova.

The rookie turned in the best game of his young career, pitching into the eighth inning for the first time. The win snapped the Bombers' season-high three-game losing streak.

"We needed a lift after the way we played in Detroit (losing three of four)," Joe Girardi said. "It was a big lift for us."

Including Granderson's blasts, the Yankees totaled only five hits against lefty Matt Harrison and three Texas relievers.

The two upper deck homers - one of which came only six pitches into the game - gave Granderson 10 overall this season, the most in the American League. Four of those shots have been against lefties, matching his total from all of 2010.

"I expected him to be productive and hit the ball hard, but 10 is a lot of home runs for this time of year," Girardi said. "The adjustments he's made have really helped.""