• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Hamilton hits slam, Rangers rout Indians

Sep 15, 2011 - 4:53 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Josh Hamilton's grand slam capped an eight- run fourth inning, and the Rangers blasted the Cleveland Indians, 9-1, to maintain their three-game lead in the AL West.

Mike Napoli smacked a two-run homer and Ian Kinsler added a solo shot, as the Rangers won their third straight and climbed 21 games above .500 (85-64) for the first time since 1999. Texas maintained its division cushion on the Angels, who won at Oakland earlier Wednesday.

Derek Holland (14-5) threw seven strong innings to win for the eighth time in his last nine decisions. The southpaw, who allowed six hits, including a fifth-inning homer to Lonnie Chisenhall, hasn't lost at home since July 2 against Florida.

"He certainly had his good fastball tonight," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He used his off-speed stuff pretty good."

David Huff (2-5) surrendered eight hits and eight runs -- three earned -- over four innings to drop his third consecutive start. The Indians have scored one run in each of those appearances.

Cleveland, which had just six hits, lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Hamilton nearly had an extra base hit in the first inning, but was robbed of a double when Shelley Duncan made a leaping catch at the wall against the scoreboard in left.

Duncan robbed Michael Young of an extra-base hit in the second with another grab in nearly the same spot as Hamilton's ball, but the Rangers sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth.

Hamilton walked and Young doubled to left for the game's first run. One out later, Napoli homered to left-center field.

Texas added five more runs, all with two outs in the fourth. Yorvit Torrealba and Craig Gentry singled and Kinsler reached safely on an error from Chisenhall.

"It happens, stuff you can't control," Huff said of the error. "For me I need to be able to be able to concentrate on the next hitter and get the next guy out. I didn't do that."

Elvis Andrus hit a liner off the glove of Huff, which turned into an infield hit, scoring Torrealba. Hamilton then hit his third career grand slam, barely over the wall in left.

That was more than enough support for Holland, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when Chisenhall grounded into a double play.

Kinsler homered to left with one out in the sixth.

Game Notes

Hamilton, who has a homer in two straight games, has 16 RBI over his last 14 contests. His grand slam worked out great for customers who bought flooring or countertops from a local carpet company. CC Carpet ran a commercial on television in recent weeks saying if Hamilton hit a grand slam customers who bought and had installation on flooring or countertops in September would get a refund...Texas is 8-1 vs. Cleveland this year and has won 10 of the last 11 meetings. The Rangers have won 17 of the last 20 meetings and are 20-4 against the Tribe since the start of 2009...Texas has recorded at least 12 hits in a club-record seven straight games, the longest streak by any team since Houston in 2007 (7 games) and longest by an AL club since Baltimore in 2004 (seven games)...Adrian Beltre went 2-for-4 and has a career-high 18-game hit streak, longest by a Ranger in 2011 and tied with Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury for the longest active streak in the majors.