Rangers push Tigers to brink of elimination with 7-3 win

Reporting from Detroit — Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters and racked up a major league-high 5,714 strikeouts in his 27-year Hall-of-Fame career, but pitching is nowhere near as nerve-racking as watching his Texas Rangers in a postseason brimming with nail-biting moments.

Several times this month, television cameras have caught the Rangers’ CEO and president in his seat near the dugout gripping a baseball so tight it looks like he could squeeze the cover off.

“It’s hard being a fan,” Ryan said. “I compare it to the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags [in Arlington]. Your emotions can go from top to bottom, from high to low, real quickly.”

The Rangers took Ryan for another white-knuckle ride Wednesday night, falling behind early, going ahead in the sixth inning, losing the lead in the seventh, pulling off a near-impossible double play in the eighth and going into extra innings.

It wasn’t until the 11th that Ryan finally exhaled, Nelson Cruz capping a four-run rally with a three-run home run that gave the Rangers a tension-filled 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series in Comerica Park.

Josh Hamilton sparked the winning rally against Tigers closer Jose Valverde with a leadoff double, and after Adrian Beltre was walked intentionally with one out, Mike Napoli, the former Angels catcher, drove in the go-ahead run with a single to center.

Cruz then hit his fourth homer of the ALCS, a towering shot to left-center field that gave Texas a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Detroit will turn to ace Justin Verlander in an attempt to fend off elimination in Game 5 on Thursday. The Rangers, one win away from their second straight trip to the World Series, will start their ace, C.J. Wilson.

“That was one of the best baseball games I’ve ever been involved in,” Tigers Manager Jim Leyland said. “Great plays by both teams. It just didn’t come out the right way for us.”

It did for Cruz, the Rangers right fielder who saved the game with a throw that was reminiscent of Dave Parker’s laser to nail Brian Downing at the plate in the 1979 All-Star game.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth and the score tied, 3-3, Texas Manager Ron Washington, tired of seeing Miguel Cabrera burn his team repeatedly with big hits, took the extreme measure of walking Cabrera intentionally with the bases empty.

Victor Martinez nearly foiled the strategy by grounding a single to right, advancing Cabrera to third. Delmon Young followed with a fly to deep right, where Cruz made the catch near the line.

Cruz, showing he is far more than a one-dimensional player, fired a strong and accurate one-hop throw to Napoli, who had enough time to catch the ball, make the tag and absorb a hit from the 270-pound Cabrera.

“That doesn’t happen very often,” Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “The chances of making a perfect throw like that and Napoli coming up with it and getting hit by a guy who’s 270 pounds and holding onto the ball … just an unbelievable play.”

Cabrera is hardly fleet of foot, but Leyland did not second-guess third-base coach Gene Lamont’s decision to send him.

“If the throw is off line, he makes it. If it’s not, he’s out,” Leyland said. “It was the right call. Cruz threw it on the money.”

Napoli, who never seemed good enough defensively to satisfy Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, was on the throwing end of another fine play in the 10th, gunning down speedy Austin Jackson on a stolen-base attempt at second.

“Nap has been throwing people out all season long,” Rangers first baseman Michael Young said. “I know he takes a lot of pleasure in that, considering the rap on him over the years, which was totally unfair.”

The best part of Napoli’s play? When reliever Scott Feldman struck out Ryan Raburn to end the inning, Cabrera was left in the on-deck circle.

“I kind of got labeled as not too good behind the plate, but I always thought I was a pretty good catcher,” Napoli said. “It’s real satisfying to show what I can do.”

The start of the game was delayed 2 hours 13 minutes because of rain. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third when Cabrera followed singles by Brandon Inge and Raburn with a two-out, two-run double to left-center.

The Rangers rallied for three in the sixth against Detroit starter Rick Porcello. David Murphy singled and scored on Kinsler’s one-out double to left.

Kinsler stole third and scored on Elvis Andrus’ single for a 2-2 tie. Andrus took second on Porcello’s wild pickoff attempt and scored on Young’s two-out single for a 3-2 lead.

But the Tigers tied it, 3-3, on a stunning solo homer by Inge against the previously impenetrable Alexi Ogando in the seventh.

Ogando, who had thrown 51/3 scoreless, one-hit innings in the ALCS, tried to blow an 0-and-2 fastball by the No. 9 hitter, and Inge, who struggled so much during the season (.197, three homers, 23 runs batted in) that he was designated for assignment July 21, crushed the ball to left field.

That sent a crowd of 42,234 into a frenzy, but Comerica Park grew quiet after Cruz’s throw in the eighth, silent after his homer in the 11th, and it could go dark for the winter unless the Tigers stage a miraculous rally.