NEW YORK -- After allowing six runs in the first two innings of his last start, Kevin Brown and the Yankees were hoping for a better result when the right-hander took the mound on Friday.

Technically, it was better, but not by a wide margin. Brown allowed four runs in the first inning against the Rangers, helping Texas to a 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium to open the three-game series.

"It's two starts now that he hasn't started off on the right foot," said general manager Brian Cashman. "We have to find a better way to set the pace."

"It's hard to be anything but disappointed with the way things turned out in the first inning," Brown said.

The loss prevented the Yankees from recording their first three-game winning streak of the season, dropping them into a last-place tie with the Devil Rays at 7-10.

Texas came out swinging to start the game, rocking Brown for five hits in the opening frame. Alfonso Soriano singled, moved to second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch, scoring on Hank Blalock's single.

"He warmed up in the bullpen as good as I've ever seen him. His stuff was good, his location was great," said catcher John Flaherty. "But in the first inning, the location wasn't what we were looking for. The movement, velocity and life are excellent, it's just hitting his spots, like any other pitcher."

Three batters later, former Yankee David Dellucci doubled in a pair of runs, while Gary Matthews Jr. singled in a fourth run. Brown was showered with a chorus of boos by the 42,710 in attendance, as the Yankees found themselves in another early hole.

"I'm not worried about the fans, I'm worried about trying to get guys out," Brown said. "They're not beating me up any worse than what I'm saying to myself."

"We weren't able to minimize the damage," said manager Joe Torre. "The second inning in Baltimore and the first inning here really kept us from being close the whole game. It's unfortunate that the first inning cost him that much."

Brown allowed another run in the third, but he got double-play balls in the second and fifth to escape potential trouble.

"He walked that tightrope for most of the game but managed to get the ground ball," Torre said. "He battled through."

"There are a lot of positives," Flaherty said. "But when you give up that many runs early, you can't really look at those."

While Brown struggled early, Texas starter Chris Young had no trouble with the Yankees' lineup. Young, a 6-foor-10 right-hander, didn't allow a hit over the first three innings, but Hideki Matsui's double in the fourth scored Gary Sheffield from first, putting New York on the board.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, that was all the offense they could muster against Young in 5 2/3 innings.

"He's tall, he has a good fastball which is deceptive," Flaherty said. "It doesn't look like he's throwing real hard, but the ball gets on you. He had just enough offspeed pitches to keep us off-balance."

Brown managed to settle down after his rocky start, holding the Rangers to just one run after the first. In six innings, he was charged with five runs on 11 hits and one walk, striking out four.

"We know it's there," Torre said. "He certainly hasn't pitched well in a couple of isolated innings, but if you look at the body of work, he's had a lot more scoreless innings than innings he's been scored on."

"That's the only thing I can take from it," Brown said. "I can't be pleased with the overall numbers, so the only thing I can take from it is that I stopped it. That's not what I call keeping the team in the game, but I didn't let it get any worse."

New York went to the ninth down by four runs, but Rey Sanchez singled and Andy Phillips reached on an error, prompting Rangers manager Buck Showalter to bring in closer Francisco Cordero with the tying run on deck.

Jorge Posada, pinch-hitting for Tony Womack, doubled to right, scoring both runners to cut the lead to two. But Cordero struck out Derek Jeter and retired Bernie Williams, earning his eighth save of the year.

"They did a heck of a job," Torre said. "They shut us down, kept the damage to a bare minimum."

That's something Brown couldn't do. He'll get his next chance in six days against the Angels.

"I'm not sure if I'm doing something different mechanically, or what, but I have to try to figure out what is allowing them to see the ball early in the game like that," Brown said. "I'll take a look at some film, try to figure out what it is, or if it's just a matter of the way the ball is bouncing right now."