Yankees 8, Rangers 2: Nick Swisher hit a go-ahead grand slam as part of a five-RBI performance as host New York overtook Texas for best record in the American League.

Eric Chavez also homered and fill-in starter David Phelps pitched five solid innings as the Yankees won for the fifth time in six games to move one-half game ahead of the Rangers.

New York trailed 2-0 before a five-run third inning, highlighted by Swisher’s second grand slam of the season. The blast to right field off Texas starter Ryan Dempster was Swisher’s 200th career homer. Curtis Granderson capped the uprising with a sacrifice fly to deep center.

Phelps (3-3) replaced injured CC Sabathia in the rotation and allowed two runs and six hits in five innings to earn his first win as a starter. Derek Lowe hurled four innings of two-hit scoreless relief in his first outing since joining the Yankees after being released by the Cleveland Indians.

Chavez smacked his 13th homer of the season in the sixth to give New York a 6-2 advantage. Derek Jeter drilled a run-scoring double in the seventh and Swisher singled him home.

Dempster (1-1) allowed eight runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. It is the second time in three outings he has allowed eight runs since the Rangers acquired him from the Chicago Cubs.

Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Nelson Cruz’s first-inning single and David Murphy’s second-inning homer.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Dempster has allowed 10 career grand slams, the most among active pitchers. It was the major league-leading ninth slam of the season for New York, one shy of its franchise record. ... Phelps, a right-hander, picked Ian Kinsler off first in the second inning and Elvis Andrus off second in the third to become the first New York pitcher to pick off two runners in the same game since left-hander Andy Pettitte picked off two Milwaukee Brewers in 1997. … Rangers OF Josh Hamilton went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. … Chavez went 2-for-4 in his return from back troubles that kept him out of a three-game weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. … Texas has lost six straight games at Yankee Stadium. … The save was Lowe’s first since Game 5 of the 2003 American League Division Series for the Boston Red Sox against the Oakland Athletics. … Texas INF Michael Young went hitless in four at-bats to end a 15-game regular-season hitting streak at Yankee Stadium.