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Young tries to get on track against Rangers

Sep 6, 2014 - 2:39 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Young's comeback season with Seattle has a chance to write another feel-good chapter on Saturday night.

For the Texas Rangers, their nightmare season took an unexpected turn on Friday.

Young tries again to set a new career high for wins in a season on Saturday night as the Mariners resume a four-game set with a Rangers club still recovering from the sudden departure of its former manager.

The Mariners will stick with the 35-year-old Young in the rotation despite his struggles over his last two starts. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and five walks of a no-decision versus Boston on Aug. 23, then was pulled after recording just two outs in a loss to Oakland on Monday.

Young was charged with five runs on four hits and two walks in that setback, falling to 12-7 with a 3.46 earned run average on the year.

"I wasn't sharp," Young admitted. "My stuff wasn't good, it was flat. They came out super-aggressive, you could see it. They were motivated. I didn't have it."

Young is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two previous starts versus the Rangers, who he spent his first two major league seasons with. He first set his career high for victories in his second campaign with the club, posting 12 wins in 2005 before moving on to San Diego.

The right-hander faces a Rangers club that has lost seven in a row, including a 7-5 decision last night hours after manager Ron Washington suddenly resigned for person reasons.

Washington had managed Texas since 2007 and helped get the franchise to a pair of World Series. It was not said what issue caused Washington's exit, but he did note in a statement it had nothing to do with Texas' disappointing 2014 season, one that sees the Rangers currently 35 games under .500.

General manager Jon Daniels also said that Washington's resignation had nothing to do with a substance abuse issue. Washington had previously tested positive for cocaine in 2009.

"Today, I have submitted my resignation from the job I love -- managing the Rangers -- in order to devote my full attention to addressing an off-the- field personal matter. As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what's best for me and my family," Washington offered in a statement shortly after the news broke Friday afternoon.

"This is in no way related to the disappointing performance of the team this season. We were already discussing 2015 and looking forward to getting the Rangers back to postseason contention. I deeply regret that I've let down the Rangers organization and our great fans.

"Over the past eight seasons, it's been a privilege to be part of some of the best years in club history and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I've had here, and for the great management, players, and coaches who have made our time here a success. Thank you for respecting my privacy."

Tim Bogar was appointed interim manager for the remainder of the season.

While the news hit the Rangers hard, both clubs hit the ball hard in Friday's contest. Seattle received a pair of two-run homers from Kendrys Morales, Brad Miller added his own two-run shot and Mike Zunino hit a solo homer.

The power surge gave Seattle its fourth straight win and vaulted the club a half-game ahead of Detroit for the second wild card in the American League.

"They elevated some balls in the strike zone and we took advantage of them," M's manager Lloyd McClendon said.

Adam Rosales hit a two-run homer, Rougned Odor drove in a run and Leonys Martin had three hits and a run scored for the Rangers, who turn to right- hander Nick Martinez tonight.

Martinez, though, gave up five runs on six hits and four walks over five innings of a 5-0 setback to Seattle on Aug. 26. He has lost both of his career starts versus the Mariners with a 5.73 ERA.

The righty did rebound on Sunday in a no-decision versus Houston, giving up one run over 5 1/3 frames of his club's loss.

"It's a team game, you want to see the team win," said Martinez. "There are always going to be some positives and negatives. I'm still going to study my outing today and take what I can from it."

Martinez stands at 3-10 with a 5.14 ERA this year.

Texas now holds just a 9-8 edge over Seattle in the season series.