It took the season’s twelfth day for the Rangers to have a day where things didn’t seem to go right. They fell 5-4 on a bases-loaded single by Miguel Cabrera in the bottom of the ninth off of Darren O’Day and went a game day without a win for the first time this season.
The Rangers hit Brad Penny early but let him off of the hook twice, as Josh Hamilton failed to score after tagging on a foul infield pop in the first inning and Adrian Beltre was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple leading off the fourth.
C.J. Wilson started for the Rangers and allowed four runs in six innings, never showing his best stuff or command. He entered the bottom of the seventh with a one-run lead, but four Tigers reached, and Wilson exited trailing 4-3.
Pedro Strop pitched 1.1 scoreless to hold the game for Texas, and Nelson Cruz singled home Young to tie the game in the eighth. After Texas went in order in the ninth, O’Day entered and immediately encountered trouble. Inge singled and was sacrificed to second. A strikeout and two walks later, O’Day had loaded the bases for Cabrera, who came through with his seventh walk-off hit as a Tiger.
The two sides will play the finale tomorrow at noon central, with Detroit throwing Max Scherzer and Texas countering with Dave Bush. Bush will fill in for Colby Lewis, who had his last start delayed by a rain out and may also be unavailable due to the impending birth of his child.