ARLINGTON, Texas — Brent Lillibridge had placed the Yankees in a shallow but lethal hole when he failed to field a hot smash in the sixth inning.
That led to four Rangers runs and, when the Yankee bats went cold from the fourth inning on, it appeared Lillibridge’s error was going to cost the Yankees a victory.
Yet the utility infielder who has been with the Yankees less than a week, atoned for the fielding mistake with an RBI single in the ninth inning off Joe Nathan that lifted the Yankees to a 5-4 victory Tuesday night that stunned a crowd of 42,739 at Rangers Ballpark.
Trailing, 4-3, going into the ninth, Ranger hurlers had retired 15 straight Yankees when Nathan, a Stony Brook product, walked Vernon Wells, who went to second when Nathan’s lead foot slipped causing a wild pitch.
Eduardo Nunez’s triple to center scored Wells and tied the score, 4-4. Lillibridge followed with a single to left that plated Nunez and remove the sting of his error leading to the Yankees flushing a three-run lead.
Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs for his 32nd save in 34 chances.
The victory enabled the Yankees to remain seven games behind the AL East-leading Red Sox, who beat the second-place Rays in Boston.
Until Lillibridge, the seventh Yankees third baseman this year, didn’t glove Nelson Cruz’ hard-hit smash on a short hop, Phil Hughes was working on a shutout. By inning’s end, Hughes was on the bench and the Rangers were leading, 4-3, thanks to Boone Logan giving up a two-run homer to Mitch Moreland that landed on the grass beyond the center- field wall.
In 5 2/3 innings, Hughes gave up three unearned runs, four hits, walked three and fanned one. Hughes started the sixth with a 3-0 lead and left on top, 3-2.
After scoring two runs in the third and fourth against Alexi Ogando, the Yankees didn’t touch the plate again until the ninth.
Following Wells’ leadoff double in the fourth, the Yankees didn’t get another hit until Nunez’ triple. Lillibridge also drove in a run with a fielder’s choice in the fourth.
Lillibridge was playing third because Luis Cruz was out with a sore right lower leg after injuring it making a catch Monday night in short left field.
None of Hughes’ first three innings was clean, but he retired all six batters in the fourth and fifth before being hurt by Lillibridge’s error.
Hughes started the frame with a 3-0 lead and retired Jurickson Pofar for the first out and should have had Nelson Cruz on a hard groundout that should have been gloved by Lillibridge.
Adrian Beltre followed with an RBI double to center in front of A.J. Pierzynski’s fly to center. Elvis Andrus drove Beltre in with a single which forced Joe Girardi to bring in Logan to face left-handed swinging Moreland.
Logan didn’t turn to watch his second pitch to Moreland because he knew it was out of the park and the Rangers led, 4-3.
Melky Mesa, who started for the first time this year, and Austin Romine, the No. 9 hitter, opened the second frame with consecutive doubles that produced the game’s first run. Brett Gardner’s single to left moved Romine to third and he scored on Ichiro Suzuki’s infield single to short.
Wells, who replaced the slumping Travis Hafner as the DH against the right-handed Ogando, led off the fourth with a double, went to third on Nunez’s fly to center and scored on Lillibridge’s grounder to second baseman Ian Kinsler whose throw home was behind a sliding Wells. Lillibridge was credited with an RBI
george.king@nypost.com