Arlington, TX – Michael Young hit a homer and knocked in four runs, lifting the Texas Rangers over the Seattle Mariners, 5-3, in the final test of a four-game series.
Ian Kinsler went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI for the Rangers, who went 5-2 on a seven-game homestand.
Derek Holland (1-0) gave up two runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings to pick up the win. He fanned eight while improving to 6-1 lifetime against Seattle in 11 games (seven starts).
Kyle Seager hit a solo homer for the Mariners, who lost three of the four games in the series. Miguel Olivo and Alex Liddi each knocked in a run.
Jason Vargas (1-1) allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings to take the loss. He struck out six and walked one.
The Rangers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Kinsler started the frame with a single, stole second and crossed the plate on Young's single up the middle.
Young helped Texas increase its lead in the fifth. With two outs and Kinsler on first, Young hit a homer over the wall in right for a 3-0 margin.
The Mariners got a run back in the sixth. Brendan Ryan led off with a double, advanced to third on Chone Figgins' groundout and scored on Liddi's single to left.
Seager's homer to right in the seventh made it a 3-2 contest.
But Texas scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Yorvit Torrealba doubled and crossed the plate on Kinsler's two-out double. Young followed with an RBI single to center for a 5-2 lead.
Mike Adams gave up a run-scoring double to Olivo in the ninth, but got pinch- hitter Michael Saunders to ground out for the final out. Adams picked up his first save of the season.
Game Notes
Texas went 15-4 against Seattle last year...Kinsler and Young each had three hits...Each team stranded five runners.
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