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Hunter pitches Rangers over Orioles 6-4

Aug 22, 2010 - 9:52 PM By DAVID GINSBURG AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE(AP) -- The reliable duo of Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero provided the Texas Rangers with a satisfactory finish to an otherwise lamentable road trip.

Hamilton and Guerrero each hit three-run homers, Tommy Hunter earned his career-high 10th win and Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Sunday to split the four-game series.

The AL West-leading Rangers arrived in Baltimore after going 0-3 in Tampa Bay. By winning the series finale, Texas avoided its first multi-city road trip with only one win since a 1-12 trek in August 2005.

Hamilton and Guerrero both connected off Kevin Millwood (2-14). Hamilton homered in the first to put Texas up 3-0 after the game's seventh pitch, and Guerrero made it 6-1 with a drive in the fifth.

"It's nice to see those two guys come through. That's what we needed," manager Ron Washington said. "Any time you can get a win it's good, especially this one because we've got to fly. We can fly having fun, and it's nice to hear the music in the clubhouse."

Hamilton said, "We could have come off the road trip a lot worse than we did. We hung in there."

The Rangers are without injured Ian Kinsler, but Hamilton and Guerrero are picking up the slack. Hamilton has 28 homers and 88 RBIs and is batting .357 after going 7 for 13 in the last three games.

Guerrero went 2 for 4 Sunday and is batting .299 with 22 home runs and 91 RBIs.

"You almost go into games like that trying to minimize the damage with Hamilton and Vlady," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, now 12-8 since making his Baltimore debut on Aug. 3.

"They've got a pretty good track record," Millwood said of Hamilton and Guerrero. "You've got to make good pitches to them. The ball Hamilton hit out and the ball Guerrero hit out weren't good pitches."

Luke Scott hit his 100th career homer and Ty Wigginton also connected for Baltimore. The defeat assured the Orioles (44-81) of a 13th consecutive non-winning season.

Hunter (10-2) gave up three runs and five hits over eight innings in a third attempt at his 10th win. He did not walk a batter or register a strikeout - the longest outing for a pitcher in the majors without either since Justin Verlander did it over eight innings for Detroit in May 2006.

Hunter didn't get past the third inning in either of his last two starts and was 1-2 in his previous four.

"When you throw two-seamers, changeups, cutters and curveballs for strikes and you're able to be efficient with your pitches, you'll have a good outing," the right-hander said.

Neftali Feliz allowed Wigginton's 20th homer in the ninth, then struck out the side for his 31st save.

Scott's team-leading 24th homer came on an 0-2 pitch from Hunter. He has six home runs and 16 RBIs in 20 games this month.

Asked about his milestone homer, Scott said, "To have a chance to hit 100 home runs at the major league level, it's something that I'm humbled by. I'm thankful because it's been a lot of fun."

Millwood gave up six runs, six hits and two walks in six innings. It was the 400th career start for the veteran right-hander, who is 0-6 in nine outings since June 24.

"It's a lot less fun than winning a whole bunch of games," he said.

Millwood has allowed at least two first-inning runs in 12 of his last 16 starts. Of the 26 homers he's surrendered, 19 have come at Camden Yards.

It was the first time Millwood faced Texas since Aug. 17, 2005. The only major league teams he has never defeated are the Rangers, Minnesota and Atlanta.

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 21 minutes by rain. ... Showalter rested CF Adam Jones, who is hitless in his last 16 at-bats. ... The game was played on the third anniversary of the Rangers' 30-3 rout of Baltimore at Camden Yards. ... Guerrero has six home runs and 20 RBIs off Millwood, the most runs the Texas slugger has driven in against any pitcher.