New York — Brett Gardner can't keep track of all the losses for the plunging New York Yankees.

"Starting to lose count now," he said.

New York fell for the 10th time in 11 games on Sunday night, 5-2 against the Texas Rangers. The Yankees have dropped six straight and are back at .500 for the first time since mid-April.

"Teams are going to go through streaks where they're not hitting, they're not pitching, but we're making way too many mental errors. We're playing way too sloppy out there," slugger Mark Teixeira said. "One mental error every now and then is OK. We seem to be having two or three a night."

Adam Rosales hit a two-run homer off Chris Capuano that bounced off the top of the left-field wall, and Yovani Gallardo won for the second time since mid-April.

Prince Fielder had three hits and two RBIs for the Rangers, who swept the three-game series and extended a winning streak to five for the first time since September. The Yankees (22-22) had three hits in the first inning and three more the entire night.

"There's frustration in the room. There better be frustration," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

New York held a pregame ceremony to retire Bernie Williams' No. 51 and unveil a plaque in his honor in Monument Park, and then had another night of pitching and defensive struggles that have contributed to its worst skid in two decades. The Yankees have lost six straight in a single season for the first time since May 11-16, 2011, and have 10 defeats in an 11-game span for the first time since May 23 to June 3, 1995, according to STATS.

While the Yankees were 21-12 before play on May 12, they are back at .500 for the first time since they were 7-7.

Still, they are second in the AL East, 1 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay.

"That's the only thing we can take solace on, is we haven't dug ourselves too big of hole," Teixeira said. "If there was a really good team out there in the AL East that was lighting the standings on fire, we'd be in a big hole."

Gallardo (4-6) allowed Brian McCann's two-run single in the first, and then pitched shutout ball through the sixth and wound up giving up four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Sam Freeman retired McCann on an inning-ending flyout with two on in the eighth, and Shawn Tolleson struck out the side in the ninth for his third save.

McCann came out after eight innings when his right foot cramped.

"I don't think we're really going to know until tomorrow," Girardi said. "It's one thing if it's in the foot. I'm a little bit more concerned that it moved up to the calf."

McCann said he would be OK to play in Monday afternoon's series opener against Kansas City.

"It felt like the feeling you get when you sleep on your arm," he said.

Making his second start since recovering from a strained quadriceps, Capuano (0-2) allowed three runs — two earned — and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 7.36.

"Going 4 1/3 innings, I'm not happy with that. I've got to be better," he said. "I felt like it was a little quick, but I'm not going to second-guess Joe."

Fielder hit an RBI double in the first after second baseman Jose Pirela allowed Shin-Soo Choo's grounder to bounce off his glove for an error.

Rosales put the Rangers back ahead 3-2 in the second with a 379-foot drive just over the glove of a leaping Gardner in left.

Texas boosted its lead in the seventh against Justin Wilson after Delino DeShields tripled over center fielder Chris Young, who did not take the most direct route. Choo hit an RBI double and scored on Fielder's single high off the right-field wall.

"Obviously the fans are frustrated," Gardner said, "but nobody's more frustrated than the guys in this room."

Streaking

Yankees reliever Dellin Betances has not allowed a hit to his last 28 batters, retiring 25, walking two — one intentionally — with one sacrifice fly.

Trainer's room

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to throw 60 to 65 pitches for Triple-A Scranton on Wednesday at Pawtucket and says it will be up to New York to decide whether he rejoins the major league rotation after that. ... OF Carlos Beltran missed the game because of flu-like symptoms.

Up next

Yankees: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (3-1) starts today. The Royals open with Jeremy Guthrie (4-2).