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Rangers use three homers to down scuffling Athletics

Sat 26th, July 2008

Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Josh Hamilton's three-run home run was one of Texas' three homers, as the Rangers slugged their way past the Oakland Athletics, 9-4, in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Matt Harrison (2-1) yielded three runs -- one earned -- on five hits and three walks in five innings of work to earn the victory. Josh Rupe pitched three scoreless innings in relief for Texas, which has won two in a row.

The Rangers also got home runs from Marlon Byrd and Chris Davis, both solo shots, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in.

"We've got a great offense, I think we've got the best offense in both leagues," Hamilton said. "If the bottom of the lineup isn't hitting the top is and if the top's not hitting the bottom is and we kind of fuel off each other so we're going to put some runs up, we have all year."

Justin Duchscherer (10-7) was tagged for eight runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out six, in six-plus innings for the A's.

"That's not a positive outing I gave up eight runs and didn't give my team a chance to win so I feel like I'm better than that," Duchscherer said. "Honestly, the stretch I've been on is one of those things where you try to ride it out as long as you can because I'm human."

Emil Brown and Mark Ellis each homered for Oakland, which has lost three consecutive games and nine of 10.

Back-to-back two-out doubles from Davis and Saltalamacchia gave the Rangers a 3-0 advantage in the second inning. Hank Blalock drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a Byrd single. Davis brought Blalock home two batters before Saltalamacchia plated Murphy and Davis.

The Athletics cut their deficit to one in the third. After consecutive one-out singles by Carlos Gonzalez and Kurt Suzuki, Brown reached on a Michael Young fielding error before Bobby Crosby's infield single scored Gonzalez. Wes Bankston followed with a sacrifice fly to score Suzuki.

Texas took command in the fifth on Hamilton's homer. Saltalamacchia walked and Ian Kinsler singled with one out. After Young struck out, Hamilton blasted his three-run shot to left-center field, his 24th homer of the season.

Brown countered with a leadoff homer in the fifth, his ninth of the year, to make it 6-3.

Davis, however, hit a leadoff shot of his own, his 10th, before an RBI single from Young three batters later scored Saltalamacchia, who singled. Byrd's solo shot in the eighth, his fifth, made it 9-3.

Ellis blasted the game's fourth leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth, his 10th, to make it 9-4 and cap the scoring.

Game Notes

Hamilton leads the majors with 103 RBI...Texas leads the season series 8-3...Texas has won four of its last six games.