Rangers stun Angels as Hamilton homers off K-Rod

[July 10, 2008]  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Texas Rangers over the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 Wednesday night.

It was Hamilton's 20th homer of the season, and his first since June 17. He connected off major league saves leader Francisco Rodriguez, who gave up three runs in only his third blown chance this year.

Hamilton and K-Rod (0-2), who already has 35 saves, will be AL teammates at the All-Star game next week. Hamilton leads the majors with 89 RBIs and will be one of the starting outfielders.

Pinch-hitter Ramon Vazquez drew a walk to start the ninth against Rodriguez before Ian Kinsler, the AL's top hitter, struck out. Frank Catalanotto then grounded out, moving Vazquez to second before Michael Young's RBI single got Texas within 4-3.

After Young stole second base, Hamilton lined a 3-1 pitch into the right-field seats for his first homer in 70 at-bats.

Jamey Wright (5-3), the fourth Texas pitcher used during a makeshift night on the mound, worked two scoreless innings.

The Rangers (48-44) moved four games over .500 for the first time since 2006 and got within 6 1/2 games of the AL West-leading Angels.

Los Angeles went ahead 4-2 in the seventh when Juan Rivera quickly atoned for his defensive miscue with a big swing of the bat, a tiebreaking two-run homer.

Rivera's 415-foot blast to left-center off Frank Francisco came a half-inning after his fielding error led to the Rangers tying the game.

Texas got even at 2 with the help of a pair of outfield errors in the sixth.

Marlon Byrd led off with a single to left, but Rivera let the ball get under his glove and roll to the wall. The two-base error allowed Byrd to get to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who reached base because right fielder Vladimir Guerrero dropped the ball for his first error this season.

Reggie Willits replaced Rivera in left field for the ninth, but didn't touch the ball.

Torii Hunter drew a walk before Rivera's homer with two outs in the seventh.

Rivera also drove in Los Angeles' first run with a sacrifice fly in the second off Warner Madrigal, the converted outfielder from the Angels organization who made a surprise start.

Rivera had played only 33 games and hit .188 with two homers and seven RBIs before Wednesday. He started in place of struggling Gary Matthews, a former All-Star and defensive standout who was only 5-for-30 in his last 10 games.

Kinsler, an All-Star second baseman, extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a leadoff single in the first. But he struck out three times after that.

Saltalamacchia drove in both Texas runs, including an RBI single in the fourth that got the Rangers within 2-1.

Madrigal, who spent his first seven professional seasons in the Angels organization, started for injured Vicente Padilla, who was put on the disabled list because of neck stiffness. The Rangers had planned to call up a Double-A pitcher for his major league debut, but opted instead to get through the game with relievers already on the roster.

Madrigal gave up four singles against 11 batters, but allowed only one run over three innings in his first professional start. The stocky right-hander hit .272 with 34 homers in 301 games a minor league outfielder before making the switch to the mound midway through 2006.

Notes: Angels All-Star LHP Joe Saunders, who started Tuesday night, returned to California to be with his wife as they awaited the birth of their first child. ... Manager Mike Scioscia said before Wednesday's game that he also planned to keep Matthews on the bench Thursday. "It's good for Gary to take a little bit of a blow and try to regroup a little bit," Scioscia said. "He's not swinging the bat to his capabilities. ... There are some things we need to get right with Gary." Matthews' average had slipped to .236. ... County music star Charley Pride, a regular at Rangers spring training, was in attendance. He was shown on the huge video screen after one of his songs was featured during the Kiss Cam segment.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]

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