Young, Hamilton lead Rangers past Indians

Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas

Michael Young homered, Josh Hamilton stretched his home hitting streak to 27 games and the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Young came back after his first day off of the season on Tuesday with a two-run homer in the fifth that drew the Rangers even at 3.

Hamilton extended the second-longest home hitting streak in club history with an RBI single in the first. Al Oliver hit in 30 straight Texas home games in 1981.

Julio Borbon’s two-out single up the middle in the sixth off rookie Mitch Talbot (8-8) put Texas ahead.

Cleveland’s Jayson Nix homered for the fourth time in three games.

Earlier in the day, Texas team president Nolan Ryan visited a hospital to check on a fan who fell about 30 feet from the second deck while trying to catch a foul ball Tuesday night.

Tyler Morris, a 25-year-old firefighter, sustained a head injury and sprained ankle but no internal injuries in the fall. Morris was expected to be released from the hospital soon, friends said. Ryan gave Morris the ball he missed, too.

Colby Lewis (8-5) allowed two earned runs and six hits in six innings, striking out eight.

Alexi Ogando pitched a perfect seventh, Frank Francisco retired the Indians in order in the eighth and Neftali Feliz got three outs for his 23rd save in 25 chances.

Nix, claimed off waivers from the White Sox on June 24, batted only .163 with a homer and five RBIs in 24 games for Chicago. in 12 games with the Indians he has five homers and eight RBIs.

Lewis didn’t allow a hit in the first three innings before the Indians broke through in the fourth for a 2-1 lead on Nix’s leadoff homer and Jhonny Peralta’s RBI single.

Cleveland made it 3-1 in the fifth when Michael Brantley scored from second as second baseman Andres Blanco misplayed Travis Hafner’s routine grounder.