Michael Young finally comes through for Rangers

DETROIT -- Michael Young's struggles in the postseason has been a popular topic as manager Ron Washington keeps insisting on running Young out in the cleanup spot.

On one hand, you can understand Washington's rationale. Young hit .338 in the regular season and will probably get some MVP votes. You don't suddenly move on from your cleanup hitter after a few bad games, but Young was especially helpless this October, collecting just three singles in 29 plate appearances, plus two walks. That's simply horrid production from an integral spot in the lineup.

"Michael has done a great job for us there, simply because he hits a spell where things aren't going well, for me to make that type of change would be panic," Washington said prior to the game. In essence, he's largely right. It's important for players to have a chance to play out of their slumps, and so far in October, it hadn't bitten Texas to keep Young in the cleanup spot. But things looked to be changing Tuesday when Detroit jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind the commanding arm of Rick Porcello.

"We are talking about Michael Young. Seven years of 200 hits," Washington said.

The skipper's confidence in Young finally paid off in the sixth inning after he had already gone 0 for 2 and looked silly on a fourth-inning strikeout. With Elvis Andrus on first base and two runners in, Young ripped a single to center field to plate Andrus with the go-ahead run and stun Tigers fans. Suddenly, Young had put Texas in the lead with a great chance of extending the series lead three games to one. It was Young's first RBI in his last 30 at-bats, but it was a major RBI that could be the turning point of the series.

"Today could be the day that Michael Young stops all this talk about him hitting in the fourth slot and hitting .111," Washington cautioned. He proved to be correct.