Texas Rangers Defeat Seattle Mariners 5-3

Michael Young hit a two-run homer and had four RBIs to back starter Derek Holland, leading the Texas Rangers over the Seattle Mariners 5-3 Thursday.

Young had an RBI single in the first. Then with the Rangers leading 1-0 in the fifth inning for the third straight game, Young belted a two-run homer over the right field wall off Jason Vargas to give Texas a 3-0 lead. Young added a run-scoring single in the eighth off Erasmo Ramirez.

Holland (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out eight and walked none. He extended a scoreless streak by Texas starters to 22 2/3 innings before Alex Liddi’s RBI single in the sixth.

Ian Kinsler had three hits for Texas, including a two-out RBI double in the seventh that gave the Rangers a 4-2 cushion.

At 102 pitchers after seven innings in his second start of the season, Holland struck out Brendan Ryan to start the eight before allowing a double to Chone Figgins. Holland was then replaced by Koji Uehara.

Mike Adam came on in the 9^th, giving up Miguel Olivio’s two–out RBI double in the ninth before retiring Michael Saunders on a grounder for his second save with the Rangers and the fourth of his career.

The Rangers will play their first road game of the season Friday as Texas heads to Minnesota for a three game set with the Twins.