The Sports Xchange
Jul 7, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cole Hamels was dominant and so was the Texas offense as the Rangers pounded the Los Angeles Angels 10-0 Friday night.
The victory gave the Rangers consecutive wins for the first time since June 24-25 and they reached double figures in runs for just the second time since June 23.
The Angels have dropped four of their last five games and six of eight.
Hamels (4-0) pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just three singles and matched his season high with six strikeouts. He walked just one.
Hamels got all the offensive support he'd need in the first inning as the Rangers jumped on Los Angeles starter Ricky Nolasco (4-10) for three runs. Rougned Odor's RBI single gave Texas its first run and Jonathan Lucroy followed with a two-run double to left.
Nolasco, who hadn't allowed a run in his last two starts, didn't make it out of the second inning as the Rangers tacked on five more runs to build an 8-0 lead.
Nomar Mazara's RBI single increased the Texas lead to 4-0 before Adrian Beltre hit a three-run homer to left. Odor followed with a solo homer to right to give Texas its first back-to-back homers on the season.
That ended the night for Nolasco. He was charged with eight runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings He walked two and struck out two.
Texas finished with 12 hits, including two from Beltre. His homer was part of a 2-for-4 night and the three RBIs moved him past Mike Schmidt and into a tie with George Brett for 32nd on the all-time list with 1,596.
Odor also had three hits and two RBIs. Mazara blasted a two-run homer to right-center in the sixth inning and finished with two hits, three RBIs and three runs scored. Delino DeShields also had two hits.
Los Angeles didn't have a runner reach second base in the game. Albert Pujols singled twice and accounted for two of his team's three hits.
NOTES: Texas recalled INFO Drew Robinson from Triple-A Round Rock. He took the roster spot of RHP Nick Martinez, who was optioned to Triple-A Wednesday. ...The Angels recalled 1B C.J. Cron, who went 0-for-3. The Angels cleared a roster spot for him by sending RHP Parker Bridwell to Triple-A Salt Lake Wednesday. ...Texas RHP Yu Darvish, the club's lone All-Star representative, will not pitch in the game and will be inactive.