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Young's single lifts Rangers over Braves

Jun 19, 2008 - 11:08 PM By John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- This time the Texas Rangers found a way to win in the ninth inning.

An RBI single by slump-ridden Michael Young on Thursday lifted the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves, who set a major league record for consecutive one-run losses on the road with 22.

On Wednesday, Atlanta scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Rangers, 5-2. A day later, the Braves rallied again in the ninth, scoring two runs to tie the contest.

But Texas' Ian Kinsler lined the first pitch from Blaine Boyer (1-5) in the bottom half up the gap in left-center field for a double. Pinch hitter Chris Shelton popped up attempting to bunt, but Young lined a single to right field off Jeff Bennett to plate Kinsler.

Prior to his hit, Young was mired in a 1-for-31 slump, although he did produce the Rangers' first run with a sacrifice fly.

"It was very important," Young said of the victory. "We'd be lying to say that when you give up a couple of runs in the ninth, it doesn't wipe you out a little bit. Fortunately. this team doesn't really care about that type of thing. We move on.

"Kins did a good job of being aggressive and getting on. I felt like it was my time to get going a little bit. I had a plan and stuck with it and came out with a W."

Right fielder Jeff Francoeur charged Young's hit, but any chance he had to throw out Kinsler ended when he bobbled the ball. He did not even make a throw to the plate.

"I felt like I would have had a chance to make a play but it was hard-hit," Francoeur said. "It either flew out of my glove or I might have kicked it. I felt my glove and the ball wasn't there. It had to be a really good throw because he's fast."

Young went 1-for-4 but was encouraged by his at-bats.

"Gradually today, I started seeing the ball well," Young said. "I started having some good swings, started driving some balls into right field. That's the beauty of baseball. This game always pushes you, tests you a little bit, and it's a matter of how you respond and how you react to that challenge."

The Braves have not won a one-run game on the road since August 2007. Overall, they are 3-19 in one-run contests this season. They're happy to be returning home after going 4-6 on a season-long 10-game, four-city road trip- an improvement over their 7-21 road mark before beginning the trek.

"It's been a long trip, we're always glad to get home," manager Bobby Cox said.

"We played a lot better on this trip," added Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, whose major league-best average dropped under .400 after going 0-for-4. "We were in a lot of games. It could have been better, but you've got to crawl before you can walk. We pitched better and we didn't quit. We kept fighting."

After the Braves scored three runs off Texas closer C.J. Wilson on Wednesday, Texas took a 4-2 advantage into the ninth Thursday and Wilson almost blew it again. After Francoeur's infield single brought home Greg Norton with one out, Texas manager Ron Washington replaced Wilson.

"I felt fine," Wilson said. "You feel the same pretty much every day. I don't lack confidence at all. You never want to cost your team a chance at a victory. Obviously, putting guys on base today didn't really work out. Next time I go out, I'm just going to go out and pitch and I'll make better pitches."

Jamey Wright (4-2) entered with runners on first and third and gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly to pinch hitter Omar Infante. Wright got the final two outs in the ninth to record the win.

Texas took a 4-2 lead in the sixth when rookie Brandon Boggs launched a three-run home run into the left field seats.

Boggs was the first batter faced by reliever Jeff Ridgway, who replaced starter Charlie Morton. Boggs, who failed to connect on two bunt attempts before swinging away with two strikes, belted his third homer of the season.

"When you try to do the right things in the game of baseball, sometimes you get blessed, and today we got blessed with a three-run bomb trying to do the right thing," Washington said. "He didn't get the bunt down, I took (the sign) off, the guy threw him a pitch and he hit it out."

Atlanta struck first, going up 1-0 in the third when Francoeur came home from third on Corky Miller's double play grounder.

In the fourth, the Braves added another run when former Ranger Mark Teixeira led off with a double - his first hit of the three-game series - and took third on Texas starter Scott Feldman's wild pitch before scoring on Kelly Johnson's single to left.

Morton, making just his second major league start, surrendered three runs and five hits in five-plus innings with four walks and three strikeouts.

"In the beginning, I felt a little calmer, a little more comfortable," Morton said. "I felt I made decent pitches. I'd like to work deeper into the game. That's the main issue right now. I think I've demonstrated the ability to pitch."

Feldman pitched solid seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked three - all in the third inning - and fanned four. Feldman hasn't won since May 9 but has pitched well.

"He's just a hard-luck pitcher right now for us," Washington said. "As long as he keeps throwing like that, Feldman's going to be fine."