Rangers win, 15-5; return to World Series

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A series both managers independently -- and accurately -- had called "great" and "tremendous" ended in a rout.

The Rangers advanced to the World Series for the second straight season Saturday night, riding a nine-run third inning to a 15-5 victory over the Tigers in ALCS Game 6. They wound up with 17 hits and eight walks.

Texas became the first team to win consecutive AL pennants since the Yankees won four straight from 1998-2001. "We feel very confident about ourselves,'' manager Ron Washington said. "We're a very versatile ballclub. It's not easy to get back there . . . They have so much character in that clubhouse.''

Said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, "The Texas Rangers beat us and they are definitely the team that should represent the American League in the World Series. It's too bad. It breaks my heart to say it, but I'm never one not to give somebody else credit. I don't think that's the way you go. We're a class organization. They are a class organization. They beat us and I tip my hat to them.''

The Rangers, who lost to the Giants in five games in last year's World Series, await the winner of the NLCS, which the Cardinals lead 3-2. Game 6 will be played Sunday in Milwaukee. Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for Wednesday night in either St. Louis or Milwaukee.

Said Michael Young: "We're happy, but we have a lot of work to do. We're not satisfied.''

For the second straight year, out of respect for Josh Hamilton and his well-documented past problems with drugs and alcohol, the Rangers celebrated with a ginger-ale dousing on the field instead of traditional champagne. They then had a champagne celebration in the clubhouse, with Hamilton elsewhere.

"It's a great group of guys around me to kind of keep an eye on me and support me,'' he said. "It's just been amazing. But the ride's not over yet.''

In the series' first five games -- which included a pair of 11-inning games -- the bottom of the sixth started with the score tied or only one run separating the teams in each game. But that was not the case this time.

The Tigers, who actually led 2-0 after two innings and wound up hitting four home runs in Game 6, saw the game turn into a nightmare. The deep Rangers lineup sent 14 men to the plate in a 38-minute bottom of the third that ended with Texas holding a 9-2 lead.

When series MVP Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers' lead reached 15-4. It was the sixth home run of the ALCS for Cruz, a major-league record for any postseason series. Cruz drove in 13 runs in the six games.

The third-inning outburst accounted for the most runs scored in an inning in a postseason game since the Angels scored 10 in the seventh inning of ALCS Game 5 in 2002. Young, who homered in the seventh and finished with five RBIs, had a pair of two-run doubles in the third to become the first player in LCS history to have two extra-base hits in one inning.

Miguel Cabrera hit two homers and Austin Jackson and Jhonny Peralta also homered for the Tigers. David Murphy had a two-run single off Daniel Schlereth and Ian Kinsler added a two-run single off Rick Porcello in the nine-run third. Young's two two-run doubles were off starter Max Scherzer and Porcello.