Yankees manager Joe Girardi was encouraged by Chien-Ming Wang's start on Thursday. Wang allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, but the Yankees rallied after his departure to win for the 17th time in 22 games. "I thought he pitched better than his numbers indicated," Girardi said. "I'm not making excuses," the manager added. "I was happy with what I saw. I know people are going to say, 'Oh boy, he gave up five runs.' " The start against the Rangers was Wang's first since he went on the disabled list with weakness in his hips. His ERA dropped to 14.46 on the season with the appearance.