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Cruz, Rangers power past Angels 13-6

May 14, 2012 - 5:41 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam, Josh Hamilton had three RBI and the Rangers cruised past the Angels, 13-6, on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series.

Cruz had four hits, finished a triple shy of the cycle and scored three times while Adrian Beltre drove in two runs for Texas, which handed Angels' starter Jered Weaver his first loss of the season.

Hamilton extended his hit streak to 13 games with a two-run double in the fourth inning and also drove in a run in the seventh. He now has 18 RBI over his last seven games.

"Every night someone steps up ... or a lot of us (do), which is a good thing to be able to say as a team," said Hamilton.

Neftali Feliz (3-1) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings to earn the win. He walked two and struck out five.

Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer while Vernon Wells and Kendrys Morales added solo shots for the Angels, who fell to 15-20 on the season.

Weaver (5-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up eight runs on 10 hits. He was attempting to become the second American League pitcher to reach six wins this season and had a 2-1 lead after Trumbo's upper-deck blast in the second inning. But the advantage proved fleeting.

"Those guys are good over there," said Weaver. "If you fall behind and let them get into hitter's counts they're going to do some damage on you. They've been doing it to a lot of people all year."

Beltre pushed the game's initial run across with a sac fly in the first inning and he tied it in the third with a two-out RBI single. Michael Young followed with a double and David Murphy walked to load the bases. Cruz then turned on a 2-0 changeup and sent a line drive over the top of the wall in left field for a 6-2 lead.

Hamilton struck out in his first two at bats but atoned with a double to right-center in the fourth, which plated Mitch Moreland and Ian Kinsler and knocked Weaver from the game.

"You have to be on your A game with these guys," said the Angels starter. "They don't give you a chance to breathe."

Cruz doubled an inning later, then scored on Mike Napoli's two-bagger off the base of the center-field wall. Elvis Andrus added an RBI single later in the frame for a 10-2 advantage.

Mark Lowe replaced Feliz to begin the seventh inning and Wells greeted him with a homer to center field. Maicer Izturis and Albert Pujols added RBI singles in the inning but the Angels left the bases loaded when Andrus snared Howie Kendrick's grounder up the middle and flipped the ball with his glove to Kinsler at second for the final out.

Along with Hamilton, both Moreland and Kinsler knocked in a run in the bottom half, courtesy of a single and a groundout, respectively.

Game Notes

Cruz hit the third grand slam of his career...Hamilton's hit streak is the longest by a Rangers player this season...Weaver has gone 1-7 in his last 12 starts at Texas.