Ian Kinsler and Michael Young Power Rangers; Matt Garza Shuts Out Brewers for 8 2/3

Players of the Day for Thursday, April 12, 2012

American League

The Texas Rangers are loaded with great hitters - think Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz - but in Thursday's 5-3 win over Seattle, Texas needed only the first two guys in their lineup in order to get the job done, which was putting some distance between themselves and the second place Mariners.

Ian Kinsler

Michael Young

Ian Kinsler and Michael Young both went 3-for-4 and combined to score four of the Rangers' five runs and drive in all of them. Kinsler, batting in his usual leadoff position, had a pair of singles and a double, stole a base, scored three times and drove in a run, while Young, batting right behind him and playing DH for the day, drove in Kinsler each time he was on the basepaths with a couple of singles and and a two-run homer, tallying four RBI and scoring once.

While the rest of the lineup was apparently taking the day off - going a combined 3-for-24 - starter Derrick Holland picked up his first win of 2012, allowing two runs over seven innings. Mike Adams gave up another run in the ninth, but still picked up the save.

The Rangers are 1 1/2 games to the good over Seattle, having concluded the series in Arlington by taking three of four.

National League

The Cubs haven't had much to cheer about thus far, and, heading into the finale of their four-game series at Milwaukee were staring at being swept and starting off the season 1-6.

Matt Garza

Matt Garza came to the rescue with an outstanding job from the mound, throwing 8 2/3 innings of shutout ball on three hits to silence the Brewer bats, earning Chicago's second win of the season against five losses.

Garza allowed two base runners in the first inning on a single and a walk and issued a one-out walk in the second, but after that was lights out. From the third to the ninth inning, he didn't walk another batter and allowed just a pair of harmless singles, fanning nine while nearly going the distance in an 8-0 Cubs' romp.

Garza could have had the complete game shutout, but his own error (and a pitch count at 119), with two down in the ninth prevented him from finishing. Steve Camp came on to get the final out and send the Cubs out of Milwaukee with a much-needed win.