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Final Score: NY Yankees 5 - Texas 3

Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Sidney Ponson posted his second straight solid performance and Mariano Rivera worked a scoreless ninth to notch his 27th save in as many opportunities, as the Yankees edged the Rangers, 5-3, in the third contest of a four-game set.

Ponson (7-2) went 6 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on six hits while fanning four and walking just one to earn the win. Rivera gave up one hit and struck out two in his first game since being held out of action with back spasms.

"No special feelings or preparations for this, just glad to get the win," Ponson said.

Jason Giambi had a solo home run for the Yankees, who have won three of five and sit 6 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the AL East and 3 1/2 back of the Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card lead. Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs while Johnny Damon and Wilson Betemit had an RBI each in the win.

Prior to the game, the Yankees placed pitcher Joba Chamberlain on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff right shoulder and recalled pitcher Chris Britton from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Tommy Hunter (0-1) was saddled with the loss, yielding five runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 frames.

Michael Young had a solo home run for the Rangers, who had their three-game win streak snapped. Chris Davis ended 2-for-4 with two RBI in defeat.

NY took the lead, 3-2, in the third frame as Robinson Cano and Jose Molina led off with consecutive singles before Betemit clubbed an RBI double. Damon offered an RBI ground out and Jeter closed out the scoring with an RBI single.

"Whenever you can answer right back, it's big," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Giambi took the first pitch of the fourth inning over the fence in center field for a 4-2 Yankees cushion.

Damon singled with one out in the fifth and stole second. Jeter then laced a double to center, plating Damon.

Leading off the sixth, Young crushed the first pitch he saw over the fence in right to pull Texas within 5-3.

Rivera took the mound for the Yankees in the ninth and caught Brandon Boggs looking at the third strike. Gerald Laird went down swinging for the second out, though Davis finagled a single on a grounder to left. Ramon Vazquez then grounded out to make it official.

The Rangers got on the board in the second inning. The bases were juiced as Josh Hamilton led off with a single, Marlon Byrd was hit by a pitch and David Murphy connected on a single. Laird then lined out to Cano, but Davis followed with a two-run single.

Vazquez went down swinging for the second out and Ian Kinsler followed with a single to right, which Bobby Abreu rocketed home to Ivan Rodriguez. Murphy was out as he collided with Rodriguez and both were shaken up on the play.

Molina took Rodriguez's spot in the lineup, though Murphy stayed in the game until the fourth, when he was replaced by Boggs in left.