ARLINGTON, Texas — Tommy Hunter
needed to beat the heat before he could beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hunter pitched a five-hitter in his
season debut, and Josh Hamilton homered in the Rangers' 6-1 victory over
the Rays on Saturday.
Hunter (1-0), called up from Triple-A
Oklahoma earlier in the day, struck out four and didn't issue a walk. He
retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced for his second career
complete game.
On an afternoon when field
temperatures were over 100 degrees, Hunter threw 117 pitches, keeping
the Rays off-balance with an effective cutter and breaking balls.
"It was hot," Hunter said. "There's
nothing else to say. It was hot. They made sure I was OK. They asked me,
'Are you all right?' I said I'm good. They let me go out and finish the
job."
Hunter began the season on the 15-day
DL because of a left oblique strain he sustained in spring training, and
he began a minor league rehab stint on April 28.
After going 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA in six
starts for Oklahoma City, Hunter on Saturday assumed the rotation spot
of left-hander Derek Holland, placed on the 15-day disabled list last
Tuesday due to left rotator cuff inflammation.
Hunter's other complete game came
against Seattle on Sept. 13, 2009.
Hunter's ability to work fast and get
ahead of hitters is appreciated by teammates.
"I've always like playing behind
Tommy," Rangers third baseman Michael Young said. "He gets the ball and
gets back on the mound and goes after guys. He trusts his stuff and he's
out there trying to throw good pitches and he's aggressive in the
strike zone. Those are the kind of guys you want to play defense
behind."
Hunter kept his pitch count
relatively low in the early innings, and that allowed him to finish the
game.
"Having those easy pitch innings
helped him get to the back of the game," Rangers manager Ron Washington
said.
Hamilton continued his hot June with a
two-run blast in the first, and is 10 for 22 this month to raise his
average from .281 to .299.
Sean Rodriguez homered for the Rays,
who've lost eight of their last 12 but maintained a two-game lead over
the New York Yankees in the AL East.
The Rays have played sound
fundamentally for most of the season, but they made two baserunning
mistakes and two errors on Saturday.
"We did not play well today," manager
Joe Maddon said. "It was not one of our better games. But if we win
tomorrow, it'll be a 3-3 road trip and I'll be very happy with that."
Elvis Andrus, who had two hits and
two RBIs, led off the first against James Shields (5-4) with a double.
Andrus went to third on Shields' wild pitch, and scored when Ian
Kinsler's hot grounder glanced off Evan Longoria's glove at third base
for an error.
Hamilton's homer later in the first
made it 3-0, with all three runs unearned.
Rodriguez's solo homer in the second
pulled Tampa Bay to 3-1, but Andrus' RBI ground-out in the second
restored Texas' three-run advantage.
Tampa Bay designated hitter Hank
Blalock had a baserunning gaffe in the second that cost the Rays a run.
Blalock doubled, then inexplicably took off for third and was tagged
out. Rodriguez, the next batter, homered.
Julio Borbon's suicide squeeze bunt
in the sixth drove in David Murphy, and Andrus' RBI triple extended
Texas' lead to 6-1.
Shields gave up six runs — three
earned — and 10 hits in seven innings, losing for the fourth time in his
last five decisions.
Shields was still able to hang in,
throwing 106 pitches in the heat despite a tough first inning.
"We were a little flat in the first
inning," Shields said. "I gave up the knock to Hamilton and it went from
there. We just couldn't get it going. Obviously, it was hot, 110 or
something on the field. But we were prepared for it. This is the big
leagues. This is what we're conditioned to do."
Notes
Tampa Bay is 1-7 on the road
against Texas since the start of of the 2009 season, having been
outscored 64-27 in that span. … The Rangers optioned RHP Pedro Strop
to Triple-A Oklahoma City to open a roster spot for Hunter. … Texas OF
Nelson Cruz is running and taking batting practice in his rehab program
from the hamstring strain that landed him on the 15-day DL for the
second time this season. Cruz is on schedule to make two minor league
starts next weekend, and the Rangers are targeting a June 15 game at
Florida for Cruz's return. … John Jaso became the first catcher in
Rays history to bat leadoff, going 0 for 4. … Kinsler snapped an 0-for-16 slide with a seventh-inning single.