Young matches career high with five hits in sweep of D-Backs

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Michael Young needed a day off from the rigors of shortstop. The little extra rest he got at designated hitter worked out well for him and the Texas Rangers.

Young singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth and matched a career high with five hits, helping Texas beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-7 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Young made his first start of the season and the seventh of his career at DH. He raised his career average in the role to .484 (15-for-31).

"Every now and then I do enjoy [DHing] and this was the right time to get me off my feet," said Young, who had a two-run homer in the fourth and five hits for the third time in his career. "But it's different. I'm used to being in the field."

Young, who has made the All-Star team at shortstop the past two seasons, started at the position in the Rangers' first 69 games before getting a break on a humid, 90-degree afternoon.

"I've found myself a DH for the year," Rangers manager Buck Showalter joked.

Texas took a 7-6 lead into the eighth but Shawn Green's leadoff homer off Francisco Cordero tied it.

In the bottom half, the Rangers got back-to-back singles from Rod Barajas and Gary Matthews Jr. against Luis Vizcaino (2-3), and Young followed a flare to right for an RBI single.

Rather than try to hit the ball deep, Young went with the pitch.

"He takes the ego out of the at-bat," Showalter said. "He's able to settle in and not say, 'I've got my four hits, I'll go for a long ball."

Arizona manager Bob Melvin thought Vizcaino made a good pitch to Young.

"I don't know how Young hit that pitch," Melvin said. "It was a slider, down and away, off the plate. It was the right location but he went down and got it."

Mark Teixeira added a two-run double in the eighth to extend Texas' lead to 10-7.

Cordero (6-4) allowed one run in one inning and Akinori Otsuka got three outs for his 13th save in 15 chances.

Vizcaino failed to register an out, giving up three runs and four hits.

Rookie Ian Kinsler hit a three-run triple in the first for the Rangers, who have won four of five.

Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson had back-to-back homers for the stumbling Diamondbacks, who've lost five in a row and 12 of 13.

Diamondbacks rookie starter Enrique Gonzalez allowed seven runs and nine hits in five innings.

Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the first off Kameron Loe on Jeff DaVanon's RBI double and Luis Gonzalez's sacrifice fly.

Texas answered with five runs in the bottom half. Teixeira and Kevin Mench had RBI singles to go along with Kinsler's bases-loaded triple.

The Diamondbacks have been outscored in the first inning of their last 12 games, 25-4.

"This is one of those parks where you've got to keep grinding because there's going to be runs scored," Melvin said. "It's disappointing we couldn't hold 'em and make our runs hold up."

Consecutive homers from Byrnes and Hudson in the second cut it to 5-4.

When Arizona loaded the bases with one out in the third, Showalter pulled Loe and brought in rookie Fabio Castro, who got Green to bounce into a double play.

Loe allowed four runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings, his shortest outing in 24 career starts.

Loe has discomfort in his right elbow and could be headed to the disabled list. Loe hadn't disclosed the elbow pain to Showalter, who said he has asked his pitcher "100 times" whether he was hurting.

"I've never gone on the DL. I've never missed a start," Loe said. "I just want to win for this team so bad."

Game notes
Mark DeRosa got his first start of the season at SS in place of Young. DeRosa also has starts at DH, 3B, 2B, LF and RF. ... Kinsler, back in the Texas lineup after missing Saturday night's game with a bruised left leg, had his first major league triple. ... Texas is 4-2 in interleague play this season. Arizona is 0-3. ... The Diamondbacks have lost seven straight on the road to AL teams. ... Young had the 31st five-hit game in Rangers history.