ARLINGTON -- The Yankees' search for rotation depth has continued since the winter, and as they took a look at one of their potential trade targets, they also received a reminder of why they might not want to stand pat over the next few months.
While rookie Domingo German permitted six runs for the second consecutive start, taking his team out of the game early, veteran Cole Hamels pitched effectively as the Rangers handed the Yankees a 6-4 defeat on Tuesday evening at Globe Life Park.
"That's part of the game," German said through an interpreter. "Sometimes things are not going your way when you're out there. Sometimes it's hard to make the adjustments and get on track. That's part of the experience of pitching in the big leagues. An outing like this is something you have to learn from, and move forward from it."
Despite homers from Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Austin Romine, the Yankees absorbed just their fifth loss in 27 games. Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Texas pushed across two more runs without benefit of a hit in the second, a frame in which German uncorked three wild pitches, hit a batter and walked two.
• Gleyber continues to sizzle with 7th HR of '18

"I just think the command was off a little bit," said manager Aaron Boone, who was ejected in the sixth inning. "Domingo, the stuff is really good. When he lost it a little bit there, he had a rough inning and a half. I don't see that becoming anything more of an issue. Once we iron things out from that standpoint, it'll be fine going forward."

Ronald Guzman hit a fourth-inning solo homer, making German the first Yankee to allow two or more homers and throw three or more wild pitches in an outing of fewer than four innings -- an inauspicious accomplishment as German attempts to fill in for the injured Jordan Montgomery, who is not expected to rejoin the rotation until at least mid-June.
"Definitely the bases on balls, that didn't help me at all," German said. "I didn't have the command that I wanted with my fastball. I was able to execute on some pitches, but not what I expect from myself."
That proved to be enough cushion for Hamels, who was quizzed by New York reporters on Tuesday afternoon about his willingness to approve a trade to The Bronx.
"I love it here [in Texas], and I'd love to be able to win here," Hamels said. "But if management changes the direction, it's just an opportunity to win and get to October. I think that's the real baseball. That's kind of where you test your skills the most."
While the Bombers are one of 21 clubs that Hamels' contract permits him to reject, there are weighty financial considerations as well. Owed $23.5 million for this season, Hamels has a $20 million team option for 2019 that includes a $6 million buyout -- numbers that are significant considering the Yankees' oft-stated desire to keep payroll below $197 million in 2018.
"I've been hearing all that stuff, and I don't even think that's very much on our radar right now," Boone said. "I don't read into that or look into that. I just look at it as, a good pitcher was able to beat us tonight."
Hamels struck out seven over seven innings of four-hit ball, touched only by Torres and Andujar. Torres cracked a third-inning blast, his seventh and third in the last two games, while Andujar took Hamels deep for his fifth big league homer in the seventh inning. Romine slugged a two-run shot off Jake Diekman in the eighth.

The rest of the Bombers' fireworks were provided by Boone, who was ejected by home-plate umpire Pat Hoberg. Boone said it was the culmination of several incidents over the course of the evening. It was his first ejection as a manager, coming in his 45th game.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
German and catcher Gary Sanchez -- who would leave the game with cramping in his right calf after the sixth inning -- had trouble getting on the same page in the second inning, when German uncorked three wild pitches. The optics were ugly, particularly on a strikeout-wild pitch that allowed Robinson Chirinos to score, as Sanchez had his hands full trying to contend with German's erratic control.
"I was able to block a couple of those, it's just the ball went far away and the runners were ready to run," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "They took advantage of that. German was trying to execute some pitches there. The command was a bit off."
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
The Yankees successfully challenged a call at first base in the home half of the fifth inning, as Rougned Odor was picked off by New York reliever A.J. Cole. A review of 43 seconds showed that first baseman Neil Walker slapped a tag on Odor just before the runner returned to the bag, and the call was overturned.

ROSTER MOVE
Right-hander Giovanny Gallegos pitched two scoreless, hitless innings in the loss in his season debut for the Yankees, and his reward was a return trip to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees signed left-hander Ryan Bollinger to a Major League contract and added him to the 25-man roster from Double-A Trenton on Wednesday. Bollinger was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three starts for Trenton.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Carsten Sabathia (2-1, 2.40 ERA) will take the ball on Wednesday as the Yankees conclude their three-game visit to Texas, facing off against the Rangers at 7:05 p.m. ET. Sabathia took the loss in his most recent effort, at Kansas City, allowing four runs (two earned) in five innings in a 5-2 loss. Right-hander Doug Fister (1-4, 3.43 ERA) starts for Texas.