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Young's walk-off hit leads Rangers past Orioles

Jul 7, 2007 - 6:56 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Michael Young's walk-off single in the 10th inning lifted the Texas Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game series Friday.

Young sent the first pitch from Orioles reliever Paul Shuey (0-1) into left-center field to plate Travis Metcalf and give the Rangers their fourth win in five games.

After leading off the inning with a single, Metcalf reached second on Jerry Hairston Jr.'s sacrifice. Ramon Vazquez followed with a walk, setting the stage for Young's heroics.

"I haven't faced Shuey in a while," Young said. "I wasn't looking for a particular pitch. I just wanted a strike to hit."

"He came up and I had a good feeling he would get a hit," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We had the right guy at the right time at the plate."

Joaquin Benoit (3-2) picked up the win after pitching a perfect 10th inning.

Trailing, 3-2, entering the ninth, Baltimore tied the game when Brian Roberts blasted an RBI double to deep center off closer Eric Gagne.

Gagne, who has blown just seven save opportunities in his career, has not failed to close out a ninth-inning lead since 2004. The Canadian righthander had converted his previous 30 save opportunities.

"We picked (Gagne) up like he has picked us up so many times before," Young said.

The Orioles' ninth-inning effort cost Rangers starter Kameron Loe his fifth straight win. The 25-year-old righthander surrendered five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six scoreless innings.

"We really fed off Kam tonight," Young said. "They pitched well, too, and stayed with us pitch for pitch."

After starting the season 1-6, Loe has posted a 4-0 record with a 2.14 ERA in five starts since June 7.

Brad Wilkerson continued his recent power surge in the sixth inning by belting a two-run shot down the right field line to put the Rangers up, 3-0. The 30-year-old Wilkerson has hit five home runs in his last five contests.

"(Wilkerson) gave us some breathing room," Washington said. "He gave us the chance to win the game."

The Orioles began to chip away at the lead in the seventh as Nick Markakis lined an RBI double to right off Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie yielded three runs and five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings. The 28-year-old righthander has managed just three wins since moving into the rotation on May 8 despite posting a 2.18 ERA in 12 starts.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Metcalf had a leadoff double and scored on Vazquez's sacrifice fly.

"He swung the bat good," Washington said of Metcalf. "He was key in two rallies tonight. We are just playing good, solid baseball."