White Sox 2 - 3 Rangers
Final
  for this game

Young lifts Rangers over White Sox

Apr 7, 2012 - 12:40 AM

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Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run and scored two runs as the Texas Rangers opened their season with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Michael Young singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.

Colby Lewis (1-0) struck out nine and allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk in six innings. Joe Nathan picked up his first save as a Ranger with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Josh Hamilton went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored for Texas, which began its quest for a third straight American League pennant.

"It was a well played and well pitched ballgame out there today and I'm very pleased for what my guys did to walk off the field with a win," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Adam Dunn tied an MLB Opening Day record with his eighth home run while John Danks (0-1) gave up three runs on six hits in six innings.

"Looking back, there's one pitch that I'd really just love to have back and that's the Kinsler pitch. He's hit me well since I've been up here," Danks said.

Robin Ventura, who played for the White Sox from 1989-98, made his managerial debut for Chicago.

With the game tied at two, the Rangers moved ahead in the home half of the sixth.

Hamilton began the inning with a single to left. He advanced to second on Adrian Beltre's groundball out to third and Young brought him home with a base hit through the hole on the left side.

The Texas bullpen sealed the win for the Rangers over the final three frames.

Alexi Ogando struck out to side in the seventh, Mike Adams allowed just one baserunner in the eighth and Nathan fanned one en route to his 27th career save against the White Sox.

The Rangers manufactured a run in the home half of the first. Kinsler led off the frame with a double. He moved to third following an Elvis Andrus sacrifice bunt and Hamilton brought him home with a sac fly.

Kinsler gave Texas a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third after drilling Danks' hanging breaking ball over the left-field wall.

The White Sox tied the contest with two runs in the visitor half of the sixth.

Dunn, trying to rebound from a disastrous 2011 where he hit just .159, led off the frame with a towering solo home run into the second deck in right.

With two outs in the inning and no one on base, Alex Rios was hit by a pitch. He scored from first on Alexei Ramirez's single into left-center field.

Game Notes

Dunn tied Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. with eight Opening Day home runs...Paul Konerko went 2-for-4 for the White Sox...Texas improved to 3-2 against the White Sox in Opening Day contests...Lewis' nine strikeouts tied Nolan Ryan's Rangers Opening Day record, set on Apr. 8, 1991 against Milwaukee at Arlington Stadium.






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