Detroit, MI (Sports Network) – Tommy Hunter gave up three hits in seven innings to stay undefeated on the year and Ian Kinsler drove in three runs in an 8-0 Rangers win against the Tigers.
Kinsler had one of three Texas home runs, a two-run shot, and tripled in another. Josh Hamilton went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored while David Murphy also accounted for a solo blast.
Hunter (7-0) lowered his earned run average to 2.09 through nine starts in 2010. He’s held the opposition to three runs or less each time.
Texas had lost 11 straight in Detroit before Nelson Cruz’s two-run homer in the 14th inning propelled the Rangers to an 8-6 win in Monday’s opener to this three-game set. Tuesday’s victory assured the club its first series win in Detroit since June 2007.
Detroit’s Armando Galarraga (3-3), who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo Monday for tonight’s start, was tagged for four runs on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Miguel Cabrera had two of the Tigers’ four hits. Rangers pitching allowed just seven baserunners as Detroit lost a season-high seventh straight game.
Hunter retired 15 of the first 18 hitters he faced until the hosts put together their best chance to score in the seventh. Cabrera doubled with one out and Brennan Boesch followed with a walk. Ryan Raburn’s fielder’s choice left runners at the corners for Alex Avila, who lined out to second.
Texas had a 4-0 lead by that point. Kinsler tripled in Elvis Andrus and Hamilton hit a sac fly in the first. Murphy led off the second inning with a home run and Cruz followed up a double by Hamilton in the sixth with an RBI single to center.
Darren Oliver took over for Hunter in the eighth and worked around a leadoff walk to Ramon Santiago and Texas tacked on four runs in the ninth. Andrus laid down a suicide squeeze bunt to score Chris Davis and Michael Young lined a double to left. Kinsler then cranked out a two-run homer to left and Hamilton made it back-to-back longballs with a drive to right.
Doug Mathis, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma Tuesday, worked a spotless ninth for the Rangers to polish off the club’s third straight win and fifth in six games since the All-Star break.
Game Notes
Mathis took the roster spot of reliever Dustin Nippert, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after he was struck in the head by a line drive during Monday’s game. Nippert was taken to the hospital after the incident and X-rays showed no fractures or other serious damage. Nonetheless, the team decided to err on the side of caution and give the right-hander some rest…Hamilton now has 23 home runs and 69 RBI on the year…The Rangers will go for the sweep Wednesday behind right-hander Colby Lewis. Fellow righty Max Scherzer is scheduled to go for the Tigers.