Rookie Alex Young outpitches Lynn as D-Backs top Rangers
Arizona goes back over .500
ARLINGTON, Texas — It took more than any homecoming jitters to cool off Arizona Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Alex Young on Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old left-hander allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings to help the Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 9-2. Young (3-0) pitched collegiately about 20 miles from Globe Life Park for TCU in Fort Worth and now lives in nearby Dallas.
Young allowed three hits and one walk to defeat Lance Lynn (12-5), who went into the game with an 8-0 home record this season and led the majors in wins. Young struck out four and was lifted following 79 pitches, the most in his three starts for the Diamondbacks, who have won five of their last seven games.
“It was awesome,” said Young, who was 17-10 during three seasons with the Horned Frogs. “I guess just a little butterflies just having some friends and family here and pitching in this stadium before and being close to TCU and close to
ARI: 48-47 overall TEX: 50-45 overall
home, but I was excited to get here.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he wasn’t concerned that Young might be too amped up.
“I felt like he could manage his emotions,” Lovullo said. “I knew he was going to come into this environment and pitch well.”
Ketel Marte’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie. Ildemaro Vargas added a two-run home run in the sixth on his 28th birthday, and the Diamondbacks scored four times in the ninth inning aided by two errors.
Young had a scoreless streak that began during his major league debut on June 27 end at 13 innings in the fourth inning on a two-out home run by Joey Gallo. Young also had a hitless streak dating back to that same game end at 9 2/3 innings on a one-out single by Danny Santana in the second inning.
Five Diamondbacks relievers limited the Rangers, who have lost nine of their last 13 games, to one run and two hits over 3 2/3 innings. Texas is 14-18 against lefthanded starters and 3627 vs. righties. Lovullo said he arranged his rotation to have Young and fellow lefty Robbie Ray face the Rangers in this two-game interleague series.
“We’ve addressed it all, and I think that we got to do a better job,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said of his batters’ struggles