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Hamilton homers twice as Rangers down Angels

May 12, 2012 - 7:08 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Josh Hamilton belted two home runs and Mitch Moreland homered and knocked in three runs as the Rangers hammered the Angels, 10-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

"He's unbelievable right now. He's as locked in as I've ever seen anybody," Moreland said about Hamilton.

Yu Darvish (5-1) allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while fanning seven through 5 1/3 innings for Texas, which won for the fifth time in seven games.

Nelson Cruz added two RBI and Craig Gentry also knocked in a pair in the victory.

C.J. Wilson (4-3) suffered the loss against his former team, giving up four runs on three hits and a walk in just one-third of an inning as he did not return to the mound after the game went into an hour and 56 minute rain delay in the first inning.

It was the first time Wilson faced Texas after signing with the Angels as a free agent in the offseason.

Mike Trout hit a two-run shot and Torii Hunter added a solo home run for the Angels, who lost for the second time in three games.

After Elvis Andrus and Hamilton hit a pair of infield singles with one out in the bottom of the first inning, Adrian Beltre hit a grounder back up the middle that Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick had deflect off his glove as he made a sliding attempt at the ball.

Kendrick quickly recovered, but his hurried throw to first was high and sailed over the head of Albert Pujols, scoring Andrus and placing runners on the corners.

Michael Young then worked a walk to load the bases, but play was suspended by rain as soon as Young reached the bag.

Jerome Williams took the mound for the Angels when the game resumed and Cruz pulled the first pitch he saw through the left side of the infield to bring home Hamilton and Beltre.

Mike Napoli followed with a high bouncer to third that Maicer Izturis fielded, but Kendrick could not corral the low throw, loading the bases. A Moreland fielder's choice to short plated Young before Gentry's two-run triple into the left-field corner gave Texas a 6-0 lead.

"We gave them five outs in that inning so a good team is going to be able to take advantage of it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said about the first inning. "Those guys did a good job with guys in scoring position tonight and set the tone in that first inning for sure."

Hamilton's solo blast over the right-field wall in the second inning added to the Rangers' advantage.

Trout then followed a Bobby Wilson walk in the third inning by hammering a ball into the left-field bleachers to put the Angels on the board, but Moreland's sacrifice fly in the home half of the inning and Hamilton's second home run of the night in the fourth made the score 9-2.

Hunter's one-out homer to straightaway center field in the sixth brought the Angels back within six before Moreland answered in the seventh with a no- doubter to right.

Game Notes

Andrus extended his hit streak to 11 games and he has now reached base in 29 straight contests...Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba started the game behind the plate but did not return after the rain delay after taking a bat to the head by Pujols during the first inning...Texas improved to 9-5 at home this season...Wilson went 43-35 with a 3.60 ERA in 325 games -- 73 starts -- over seven seasons with the Rangers.