AMERICAN LEAGUE

Hamilton hitless in Rangers return

Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk in his first game back with the Rangers on Monday. Texas still managed to beat Cleveland 10-8 for its sixth victory in a row.
Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk in his first game back with the Rangers on Monday. Texas still managed to beat Cleveland 10-8 for its sixth victory in a row.

Rangers 10, Indians 8

CLEVELAND -- Josh Hamilton has played in two World Series, appeared in five All-Star Games and won a Most Valuable Player Award.

Yet he still had to fight off nerves in his return to the majors Monday.

"It was good to get the first at-bat out of the way, I was a little nervous up there," Hamilton said after the Texas Rangers' sixth consecutive victory, 10-8 over the Cleveland Indians. "After that second at-bat, I was feeling pretty good. It was just good to be out there. It was good to feel the energy in the dugout."

Hamilton, slowed this season by shoulder surgery, was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk and scored a run. He also reached on a key error in the seventh inning that led to the winning run.

The 2010 AL MVP came up with runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh inning with the score 8-8. He hit an easy tapper back to pitcher Zach McAllister, whose throw was well over the head of first baseman Carlos Santana for a two-base error. Prince Fielder scored.

Hamilton was traded from the Los Angeles Angels back to Texas in late April. He finished a minor league rehab assignment Saturday. Hamilton batted fifth Monday and started the game in left field. He was moved to right in the ninth inning.

The Rangers didn't arrive in Cleveland until 4 a.m. after completing a three-game sweep in Yankee Stadium on Sunday night, but they looked like a refreshed bunch in Hamilton's return.

"Mentality's everything," he said. "You start winning some ballgames, guys get a lot of confidence. It goes from hitting to pitching to playing defense, so I like it, man. I like winning and the situation I'm in. Guys are hungry and I want to go out there and fight and play hard and have fun."

Rangers Manager Jeff Banister told Hamilton before the game to fit in and play his game.

"First major league game back, looked fine," Banister said. "More than anything else had a great smile on his face, had some energy. He came in and did exactly what we asked him to do, give us what he could give us today and be one of 25."

Hamilton struck out in his first at-bat on four pitches. He walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases in the third when Texas scored four times to take a 7-5 lead. Hamilton struck out again in the fifth.

The Indians had won six in a row.

Fielder hit his fourth home run in four games for the Rangers. He hit an RBI single that tied it earlier in the seventh before the costly error.

Elvis Andrus homered, and he and Fielder each drove in three runs. Adrian Beltre also connected for Texas.

Santana and Roberto Perez homered for the Indians while Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley had RBI doubles.

Tanner Scheppers (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Rangers. Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Marc Rzepczynski (1-2) also committed a throwing error in the seventh.

Fielder and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back home runs in first as Texas took a 3-0 lead.

ORIOLES 4, ASTROS 3 Caleb Joseph and Steve Pearce hit two-run home runs off Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks), and host Baltimore dealt the left-hander his first loss in a victory over Houston. Keuchel (6-1) came in with a 1.67 ERA and had won three consecutive starts. Keuchel allowed 6 hits, struck out 3 and walked 1 over 8 innings in his first complete game of 2015 and seventh of his career.

YANKEES 14, ROYALS 1 Brett Gardner, Brian McCann and Chase Headley homered during an eight-run first inning and host New York Yankees beat Kansas City.

TWINS 7, RED SOX 2 Ricky Nolasco struck out five in seven-plus innings and Trevor Plouffe hit a three-run home run to lead surging Minnesota beat visiting Boston. Nolasco (5-1) gave up two runs on seven hits.

ATHLETICS 4, TIGERS 0 Jesse Hahn pitched a four-hitter for his first career complete game, and host Oakland beat Detroit for its first three-game winning streak this season. Hahn (2-4) struck out 5 and walked 1 in a 112-pitch performance.

MARINERS 4, RAYS 1 Robinson Cano drove in two runs, Roenis Elias threw six solid innings and visiting Seattle beat Tampa Bay. Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by Cano and Nelson Cruz. Elias (2-1) gave up one run and six hits.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CARDINALS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2 Jhonny Peralta hit a game-ending home run in the 10th inning, lifting host St. Louis to a victory over Arizona. Peralta’s leadoff drive to left on a 1-2 pitch from J.C. Ramirez (1-1) was his fourth career game-winning home run.

NATIONALS 2, CUBS 1 Wilson Ramos hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth, Tanner Roark (1-2) pitched five effective innings and Washington beat host Chicago.

GIANTS 8, BREWERS 4 Milwaukee won a challenge after Khris Davis was called out for missing the plate on a home run trot, but Hunter Pence and visiting San Francisco wound up with the victory. Davis hit two solo home runs and stomped firmly in the middle of the plate on the second.

METS 6, PHILLIES 3 Wilmer Flores hit a tiebreaking three-run home run off Justin De Fratus in the sixth inning to help Bartolo Colon (7-3) win a day after his 42nd birthday, and host New York beat Philadelphia to end a three-game losing streak.

ROCKIES 5, REDS 4 Cincinnati lost a ninth consecutive game as Nolan Arenado homered, had three hits and drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman (2-3) that gave visiting Colorado the victory.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 3 Andre Ethier, Alex Guerrero and Jimmy Rollins each homered in the eighth inning, rallying host Los Angeles to a victory over Atlanta. Ethier got things started, homering to snap a 2-2 tie against Nick Masset (0-1).

INTERLEAGUE

ANGELS 4, PADRES 3 Albert Pujols hit a two-out, broken-bat single with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, giving host Los Angeles a walk-off victory over San Diego. Kevin Quackenbush (1-1) gave up a one-out walk to Marc Krauss and No. 9 hitter Johnny Giavotella followed with a single up the middle that sent pinch-runner Collin Cowgill to third.

Sports on 05/26/2015

Upcoming Events