(Sports Network) – David Murphy slugged a three-run homer and knocked in four runs, and the Rangers inched closer to their first division title since 1999 with an 11-7 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Ian Kinsler also went deep and had three RBI, and Vladimir Guerrero smashed a solo homer for Texas, which lowered its magic number for winning the AL West to eight. That’s because Oakland lost at Kansas City Wednesday night.
Nelson Cruz had a pair of hits and scored three times for the Rangers, who posted their seventh straight win. They scored 11 runs in both games of this short series.
Colby Lewis (11-12) lasted six innings, giving up four hits and five runs — two earned — to win his second straight start after losing seven consecutive decisions.
Armando Galarraga (4-6) was tagged for eight hits and a season-high eight runs — seven earned — over 3 2/3 frames to lose for the first time in seven appearances.
Ryan Raburn went 3-for-5 with a homer and knocked in four, but the Tigers faltered to their fourth loss in five games.
Raburn stroked an RBI double to highlight a two-run first inning. The ball hit the padding at the top of the wall, causing Tigers manager Jim Leyland to argue for a home run.
The Rangers scored twice in the second and third before piling up four more in the fourth. Guerrero sent a titanic home run to left-center in the second. Cruz followed with a double and Kinsler was safe on a throwing error from catcher Alex Avila. That allowed Cruz to come home.
A throwing error on Galarraga plated Elvis Andrus in the third, and Guerrero followed with a double-play groundout to score Michael Young.
The Rangers loaded the bases with one out the following inning, and Young’s sacrifice fly added to the lead. Murphy followed with his 11th homer of the year, a shot to right for an 8-2 cushion.
Miguel Cabrera had a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Raburn tacked on a two- run double, but Kinsler’s RBI single in the bottom half moved Texas to a 9-5 lead.
Raburn homered to left-center in the seventh, just after Cabrera’s second sac fly of the night, but Kinsler went deep off Ryan Perry in the bottom half to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Guerrero has a 10-game hit streak…The Rangers start a 10-game road trip on Friday in Seattle. That includes a four-game set at Oakland to conclude the swing…Texas has won 10 of its last 12 home games…Leyland was ejected by home plate umpire Jerry Layne for arguing in the fifth inning…Texas’ 10-game lead in the division matches its largest in club history.