DETROIT, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz combined for four RBI in the 11th inning Wednesday, lifting Texas within a win of the World Series with a 7-3 victory over Detroit.
Napoli delivered a one-out, RBI single that broke a 3-3 tie and Cruz then added to his heroics in the American League Championship Series by hitting a three-run homer.
Texas took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and a win on Thursday in Detroit would put the Rangers in the World Series for the second straight year. The Tigers will try to stay alive when they send likely Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to the mound to face the Rangers' C.J. Wilson.
Wednesday's game was delayed more than two hours at the start by rain and finished 6 ½ hours after it had been scheduled to begin.
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Cruz came into the series in a batting slump that came on the heels of a hamstring pull late in the regular season.
Against the Tigers, however, he hit the go-ahead homer in Game 1 of the series, then delivered both the tying home run the first game-ending playoff grand slam in major league history to capture Game 2.
In addition with his fourth homer of the series in the 11th inning Wednesday, it was a throw by Cruz from right field that cut down Delmon Young at the plate to end the eighth inning and keep the Tigers from going in front.
Detroit took an early 2-0 lead, but Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Michael Young all drove in a run in the sixth to put Texas in front. The Tigers tied it in the seventh on a home run by Brandon Inge and it stayed tied until the big Texas 11th inning.
Texas did its extra-inning damage against Detroit closer Jose Valverde, who led the major leagues with 49 saves during the regular season.
Josh Hamilton doubled to open the 11th and Young then struck out. Rather than face Adrian Beltre, who hit three home runs in one game against Tampa Bay in the division round, Detroit Manager Jim Leyland chose to put the Texas slugger on with an intentional walk.
That brought up Napoli, who had been a late-season catalyst for the Rangers. He singled up the middle on a 1-1 pitch and Hamilton raced around to score the go-ahead run. Cruz then hit Valverde's first pitch over the wall in left-center.
Neftali Feliz came on in the bottom half of the inning to nail down the win for Scott Feldman, who worked the 10th inning as the fifth of six Texas pitchers.
