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Rangers ride two big innings in wild victory over Tigers

Jun 27, 2007 - 5:34 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Texas Rangers are closing in on their first winning month of the season and are willing to go to great lengths to secure it.

The Rangers rebounded from adversity twice and benefited from some shoddy defense to post a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.

Texas, which is 13-10 in the month of June, has stepped up its play of late, winning its last three series and guaranteeing at least a split in this series against the defending American League champions.

With the score tied at 6-6 in the ninth, the Rangers rallied against Tigers closer Todd Jones (1-4) after the veteran righthander set down the first two hitters. Michael Young drew a walk and Sammy Sosa connected on his third hit of the contest, a single, to put runners at first and second.

"This was a very good baseball game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "They were up, then we were up. It was a exciting game and I'm glad that we had the most runs when it was all over."

"This is a good team," Byrd said. "We have had our ups and downs but we play together like a team and that showed up tonight. We put timely hitting together and that's what it is all about."

Marlon Byrd followed the Rangers' cleanup hitter with a two-run triple that skidded past right fielder Magglio Ordonez, staking Texas to an 8-6 lead. Ramon Vazquez added an insurance run with an RBI single to right, making it 9-6.

"We got outpitched, outmanaged, outplayed and outhit, and we lost the game," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We played like (garbage). Good night, everybody."

"I totally blew the game," Jones said. "I was supposed to execute something and I blew it. I pitched terrible. I let the team down and I let the skipper down."

Despite allowing three runs in the eighth - the first time he had yielded a run in his last 10 games - Rangers reliever Akinori Otsuka (2-1) picked up the win before giving way to closer Eric Gagne, who notched his eighth save in as many chances.

Much like Jones before him, Gagne placed two runners on base but he was able to close the deal, striking out Ordonez to end the Tigers' threat.

The three-run ninth came two innings after the Rangers crossed the plate five times in the seventh, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to take a 6-3 lead. Brad Wilkerson hit a three-run blast and Texas scored two unearned runs on errors by third baseman Brandon Inge and left fielder Craig Monroe.

"It was a tough game," Young said. "They had us behind the eight ball for awhile then we came back. We were able to get good at-bats in those innings and get the big hit when we needed it. That was the story of the game."

Sean Casey had three hits for the Tigers, who have lost consecutive games following a seven-game winning streak. Curtis Granderson homered, giving him double figures in home runs, doubles and triples before the All-Star break, making him only the ninth player in major league history to accomplish the feat and the latest since Nomar Garciaparra in 2003.

Rangers starter Willie Eyre left the game in the fifth inning after being hit on the hand by a line drive off the bat of Placido Polanco.

"I feel fine," Eyre said. "It hit me in the back of the (right) hand. It probably broke a blood vessel but the X-rays were negative. It's just a little tender."