Hamels, Rangers shut down Cardinals

[June 18, 2016]  ST. LOUIS -- One of the National League's most potent offenses has been no match for American League West pitching this week.

Cole Hamels fired 7 2/3 scoreless innings Friday night, outdueling St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha in the Texas Rangers' 1-0 win at Busch Stadium.

Hamels (7-1) gave up only three hits and three walks, striking out six. Matt Bush got the last out of the eighth and closer Sam Dyson worked the ninth to garner his 12th save as Texas (43-25) maintained a 6 1/2-game lead on Seattle in the division while upping its record to 6-2 on its 10-game road trip.

Wacha (2-7) dropped his seventh straight decision despite matching Hamels' 7 2/3 innings, permitting six hits and a run with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts.

St. Louis (35-31) lost its third straight game, all at home, where it is 15-19 this year. It managed only three runs in mid-week losses to Houston, and only got one runner as far as second base against the varied speeds and spins of Hamels.

Matt Carpenter was the only Cardinal who cracked the code on Hamels, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks. St. Louis' only other hit was a broken-bat single by Jedd Gyorko, making his first MLB start at first base, with two outs in the fifth.

Pitching was the storyline over the game's first half. St. Louis' Michael Wacha and Texas' Cole Hamels whizzed through their innings, obtaining quick outs and requiring few good plays to do so.

Wacha gave up just three hits and a walk over the first five innings, fanning three. His only mistake was a fat first pitch to Rougned Odor in the fifth, and the Rangers' second baseman ripped it 433 feet over the wall in center for his 13th homer.

Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) pitches to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Hamels permitted only two hits and had just one serious jam. The Cardinals put men at first and second with two outs in the fourth, but Jhonny Peralta flew out to right, ending the threat.

NOTES: St. Louis recalled 2B Kolten Wong from Triple-A Memphis Friday and optioned OF Jeremy Hazelbaker to the Redbirds. Wong, who made three starts in center field, hit .429 in seven games for Memphis. ... Texas has opted to start RHP Nick Martinez in Saturday's game over LHP Cesar Ramos. Martinez worked Wednesday in relief, getting the win in Oakland after tossing two scoreless innings. ... The Cardinals signed first-round SS Delvin Perez, who was the 23rd overall pick in last week's First-Year Player Draft. The slot-value deal is worth $2,222,500. The 17-year old Perez will start his pro career with the Class-A GCL Cardinals.

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