ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Michael Young hit a run-scoring single the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Texas Rangers over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6-5 on Saturday night.

Kevin Mench also hit a three-run homer for Texas and has 10 RBIs in the last three games.

Young’s hit came on the first pitch he saw from Shawn Camp.

Rod Barajas led off the ninth with a single off Tampa Bay reliever Chad Orvella (0-1). Gary Matthews Jr. then hit a grounder to second baseman Jorge Cantu, who threw to second but the umpire ruled Tampa Bay shortstop Tomas Perez didn’t have his foot on the base.

Pinch-runner Gerald Laird advanced to second and Matthews was safe at first. Camp relieved Orvella, and Young greeted him with a single to center to drive in Laird.

Francisco Cordero (2-2) got the win despite giving up a tying three-run drive to Ty Wigginton in the ninth. It was Cordero’s third blown save of the season.

Wigginton has homered in seven of his last 11 games and has eight this season.

Mench’s drive in the second inning was his second home run of the season. The Rangers have won seven of their last nine after a 2-7 start.

Jonny Gomes also hit his eighth home run for Tampa Bay, which fell to 1-4 on its nine-game road trip.

Texas starter John Rheinecker, who was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma before the game, made his big league debut and allowed two runs in four innings. He gave up seven hits and struck out three.

Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson allowed five runs and three hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked six.

Jackson, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Friday night, pitched a perfect first before running into trouble in the second.

After walking Phil Nevin and Hank Blalock, Mench homered to center field. It was Texas’ only hit of the second inning.

Mench, who had a grand slam and five RBIs on Friday night, did not drive a run in Texas’ first 15 games.

After two more walks in the second, Matthews drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to give Texas a 4-0 lead.

Gomes hit a two-run homer in the third.

Mark Teixeira tripled leading off the third and scored on Blalock’s RBI double to extend Texas’ lead to 5-2.

Notes: The Rangers placed LHP Brian Shouse on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a left calf injury. … Cantu extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double in the first. … Tampa Bay dropped to 4-7 on the road.

AP-ES-04-22-06 2316EDT

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