Lacking big hit, Indians come up short

NEW YORK — A fresh stain of dirt lining the left side of his jersey, Mark Teixeira welcomed reliever Adam Warren’s hand and hopped up to his feet. The 36-year-old Yankees first baseman had just snared a hard-hit ball with runners on first and second in the seventh inning Sunday, before diving and extending his glove to the bag to beat Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor and end the frame. The highlight-reel play helped the Yankees to a 3-2 win over the Indians, who were handed their fifth loss in their past seven games.

It was a great play by Teixeira, who on Friday announced his intention to retire at the end of the season. Alex Rodriguez, another longtime Yankee, said in an emotional pregame news conference on Sunday that he will play his final Major League game next Friday.

“Just a really impressive play,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s Tex. He gives everything he’s got. He slid headfirst, that’s a huge play.”

Behind six-plus innings of one-run ball from Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees clinched the series victory with just five hits, one of which was a home run off the bat of Didi Gregorius. The fourth-inning blast came off Carlos Carrasco, who pitched seven innings of three-run ball.

“I thought he was pretty good. Every mistake, it seemed like he really paid for it,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Carrasco. “Double, triple, homer, all three hurt us.”

• Despite loss, Carrasco impressive

Dellin Betances entered in the eighth to pick up the four-out save. Cleveland still leads Detroit by two games in the American League Central due to the Tigers’ loss to the Mets. The Tribe hasn’t won a series against a team above .500 this season aside from the …

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