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NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens first heard it, then saw on TV in the Yankees clubhouse as Jason Giambi drove the ball deep to right.

	Clemens

"I was in here, toweling off,'' Clemens said. "The radio was on, so we heard it first.''

Giambi's tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning helped give The Rocket his 291st career victory as New York beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 Saturday.

"That home run, it was like a grand slam,'' Clemens said. "It felt like four runs. It was just beautiful.''

Clemens (11-4) gave up Alex Rodriguez's major league-leading 45th home run in the first inning, then held the hard-hitting Rangers in check through the seventh, striking out nine. Texas, with 178 homers this season, trails only the Yankees' 189.

"Roger threw a great game for us, kept us in the game,'' Giambi said.

Steve Karsay pitched the last two innings for his seventh save.

"When Rocket pitches like that,'' Karsay said, "you want to come out and throw strikes.''

The Yankees fell behind but came back to tie the game twice before Giambi hit his 32nd homer this year off reliever Juan Alvarez (0-4). It was Giambi's third homer in three career at-bats against Alvarez.

Karsay allowed Todd Hollandsworth to reach third base after a leadoff walk in the eighth. After intentionally walking Rafael Palmeiro, who homered twice the previous night, Karsay retired Ivan Rodriguez to end the inning.

Clemens gave up a double to Alex Rodriguez and walked Rafael Palmeiro with one out in the sixth inning, but struck out Ivan Rodriguez and retired Carl Everett on a comebacker to end the threat.

Clemens also got a double play in the seventh when he struck out Mike Lamb and catcher Jorge Posada threw out Herbert Perry attempting to steal. Clemens gave up five hits and walked two.

"Oh, shoot,'' Rangers manager Jerry Narron said. "You know he's going to compete every time out. He's as good a competitor as there's been in the last 20 years.''

Rangers starter Aaron Myette allowed baserunners in every inning, but only gave up two runs, on Posada's bases-loaded walk and Robin Ventura's double high off the wall in right field.

Myette allowed three hits in six innings, but walked five and hit two more batters with pitches before he was relieved by Alvarez to start the seventh.

"I'm very happy with the way he went up there in the fifth and sixth innings to keep us in the ballgame,'' Narron said. "He needs to be in these situations.''

Alvarez was holding left-handed batters to a .180 average (9-for-50) this season before he gave up Giambi's homer.

The Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the third when Kevin Mench hit a run-scoring double to center over Raul Mondesi's head. Mondesi, filling in for Bernie Williams, took a step forward before running back toward the warning track, where the ball just nicked his glove as it dropped.

Williams made his second straight start at designated hitter. He played there Friday night after missing Thursday night's game because of a mild left hamstring strain.

Game notes

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said 1B-DH Nick Johnson's return from a bone bruise on his left wrist could be sooner than expected, though he didn't specify a day for his return. Johnson took 25 swings off a tee and took fielding practice Saturday. After Thursday's workout, Johnson felt sore and rested Friday, but felt fine after Saturday's work. "We plan on accelerating his workload now,'' Cashman said. Johnson is hitting .247 with 14 homers and 50 RBI. ... Narron rejoined the Rangers after missing the last two games to attend the funeral of his father, John Narron, in North Carolina. ... Soon after Giambi's homer in the seventh, the crowd of 53,494 began doing the wave. ... Rangers 2B Michael Young deftly made a play on John Vander Wal's broken-bat grounder in the second inning, hopping over the shattered barrel of the bat as it flew toward him to field the ball and toss it to first. ... Clemens passed Hall of Famer Waite Hoyt for 17th on the Yankees' career strikeout list.