Rangers 4, Royals 3

Wednesday, August 15th) Final Score: Texas 4, Kansas City 3 Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler homered, Michael Young added a two-run double and Vicente Padilla pitched five innings as the Texas Rangers held off the Kansas City Royals, 4-3. Padilla allowed just one run, four hits and fanned a season-high eight batters in his first start since June 22 because of a right triceps strain. He had been activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game after making six rehab starts for Double-A Frisco, but was just 0-1 with an 8.25 ERA in those outings. "Hes a major league pitcher," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "He had good command and great tempo. He was pain free when we took him out. He threw some good, hard breaking balls tonight. He threw his fastball in each part of the zone. His tempo was real quick." Mike Wood (3-1) allowed two hits in one scoreless inning to earn the win. Kinsler ended 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Nelson Cruz also had a pair of hits and scored a run for Texas, which has won three straight and five of seven overall. Gil Meche (7-11) yielded three runs -- two earned -- on five hits, walked three and struck out four over 6 1/3 innings for the Royals, who have dropped four of six. John Buck and Joey Gathright each finished with an RBI. Trailing 2-1, Kansas City had a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity in the seventh, but Gathright lofted a fly ball to center and Marlon Byrd threw out pinch-runner Jason Smith attempting to score from third to complete the double play. "I knew it was shallow enough to have a chance," said Byrd. "Luckily I let off one of my best throws of the year and it was right there." Texas, meanwhile, added an insurance run in the home half. Cruz singled, moved to second on a sac bunt by Gerald Laird and third on a wild pitch. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked, and after Jimmy Gobble came on in relief, Cruz scored on a wild pick-off attempt by the lefty to make it 3-1. Kinsler then added a solo shot in the eighth inning for what turned out to be a huge three-run cushion, as Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson had his scoreless streak of 16 2/3 innings halted in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Emil Brown reached on an error leading off, and Wilson walked Esteban German before Buck ripped an RBI double to center. Gathright followed with an infield single that made it 4-3. Then, with runners on the corners, Tony Pena Jr. hit into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play for Wilsons sixth save in seven chances. Padilla breezed through the first inning by striking out the side, allowed a base hit in the second and gave up an unearned run in the third. With Pena at first, David DeJesus singled to right and Cruz fired to Young, the cutoff man at shortstop, whose throw to first caught DeJesus in a rundown. Second baseman Kinsler chased DeJesus back to first, then threw to third and got Pena in a rundown. After tagging Pena out at home, Laird, the catcher, threw to second in an attempt to get DeJesus. Lairds throw was off target, however, and ended up in the outfield, allowing DeJesus to score easily from second. Texas battled back in the sixth when Ramon Vazquez walked, Kinsler singled to left with one out and both scored on Youngs double to the gap in right- center. Game Notes The Rangers placed pitcher Brandon McCarthy on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to August 11, with a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade...Padilla was expected to be limited to around 75 pitches, and ended up throwing 80 -- 59 for strikes...The Royals have dropped seven of their last eight in Arlington...Kinslers homer, his 15th of the season, established a new career high, besting the 14 he hit last year...Padilla also had eight strikeouts in a start last August 27 against Oakland.