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Young starts pair of rallies as Rangers beat Blue Jays

Apr 28, 2007 - 10:40 PM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Michael Young started a pair of late rallies that finally finished off the Toronto Blue Jays.

Young singled and scored in a three-run ninth inning and doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th as the Texas Rangers survived a seesaw affair for a 9-8 victory over the Blue Jays.

Mark Teixeira and Gerald Laird each had three hits, including a homer, for the Rangers, who have taken the first two games of this series. On Saturday, each team had 12 hits and a blown save by its closer.

"That's not exactly how I drew it up but I sure love it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We kept fighting and we finally got it done."

"It was definitely a good effort," Young said. "For us to come out and keep battling and putting up some runs it was definitely a positive."

Young, who has four straight 200-hit seasons, was hitless in his first four at-bats, dropping his season average to .186. But he came through in his final two trips.

"I try to keep it as simple as I can in any situation," Young said. "If there's nobody on, I want to find a way to get on base. If there's guys out there, I try and knock them in."

With one out in the 10th, Young doubled to left-center field and stole third as Teixeira walked. Sammy Sosa was walked intentionally before Hank Blalock belted a sacrifice fly to deep center field off Brian Tallet (0-1), snapping an 8-8 tie.

The rally made a winner of Akinori Otsuka (1-0), who suffered his first blown save of the season. Joaquin Benoit pitched the 10th for his first save since 2002.

"It feels good," Benoit said. "It was a long game today and for me it's my first one-inning save. I think it's great for me and for my team."

Tallet lost for the first time since 2003 with Cleveland.

Toronto shortstop Royce Clayton, who gloved but could not hold Brad Wilkerson's go-ahead, two-run single in the top of the ninth, atoned in the bottom half with a tying RBI base hit off Otsuka to force extra innings.

Rookie Adam Lind, who has replaced injured outfielder Reed Johnson in the lineup, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Blue Jays the lead. Jason Frasor, who has replaced injured closer B.J. Ryan, gave it away in the ninth.

Frasor came on for his third save in four opportunities and ran into immediate trouble, allowing a single by Young and issuing a walk to Teixeira.

Frasor struck out Sosa and got Blalock to foul out. But he walked Ian Kinsler to load the bases before hitting pinch hitter Frank Catalanotto - a former Blue Jay - with a pitch, forcing home a run.

"Walks and hit batsmen make for a long inning," Frasor said. "It was a grind and I kind of really messed myself up with that."

Wilkerson hit a smash that bounced off a diving Clayton's glove and into center field to give Texas an 8-7 lead.

"I was thinking I could pocket it, but it gained momentum and popped up off the grass," Clayton said. "It had some topspin and got through. It's just one of those you wish would have stayed in (your glove)."

With one out in the ninth, John McDonald singled and Blalock misplayed Aaron Hill's bouncer to third before Clayton singled up the middle.

Laird singled home two runs in the second and hit his first homer of the season in the sixth off starter Gustavo Chacin, giving the Rangers a 4-1 lead.

But the Blue Jays took the lead with four in the bottom half. Frank Thomas triggered the rally with his 239th career homer as a designated hitter, moving within four of Edgar Martinez's all-time mark.

In the frame, Troy Glaus singled home a run and later scored. Glaus, who had been sidelined with a heel injury, was activated before the game.

Teixeira's second homer of the season came off Shaun Marcum in the seventh and tied it. Lind connected off Willie Eyre for his second home in as many days.

"They kept battling back," Laird said. "We had them on the ropes early and we couldn't get it done."