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Rangers down Padres

Jun 20, 2012 - 7:12 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Adrian Beltre finished with three hits, including a solo homer, and knocked in a pair of runs Tuesday as the Rangers downed the Padres, 7-3, in the middle contest of a three-game set at Petco Park.

Scott Feldman (1-6) surrendered two runs on seven hits and struck out five to earn his first win of the season and snap a six-game losing streak since being moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation.

Josh Hamilton started for the first time since an intestinal virus caused him to be hospitalized last Friday and stroked a two-run triple and scored twice, while Nelson Cruz added a two-run double to help the Rangers earn their eighth victory in nine contests.

"It was cool to get back into the lineup and help the team be productive," said Hamilton, who had come in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning on Monday. "It doesn't take much to spark our offense."

Edinson Volquez (3-7) was charged for six runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts over five-plus innings in the setback. Yonder Alonso and Nick Hundley both plated a run, but the Padres lost for the fourth time in five games.

"Their guy got the ball over the plate and he mixed it up a little bit," said San Diego manager Bud Black about Feldman. "We just couldn't solve him."

After Texas failed to score with the bases loaded in the top of the second, the Padres plated a run in the bottom half after Everth Cabrera reached on a fielder's choice and quickly swiped second.

Hundley then ripped a single into center field, scoring Cabrera from second to make it 1-0.

The Rangers jumped in front in the third as Ian Kinsler stroked a one-out single and Elvis Andrus followed with a walk before Hamilton crushed a triple into right-center to plate both runners and give the visitors a 2-1 edge.

Beltre's sacrifice fly scored Hamilton to make it a two-run game.

Hamilton later stroked a leadoff single in the sixth and moved to third on Beltre's double to the warning track in right-center field. Cruz then plated both runners with a double into the left field corner to extend the visitors' lead to 5-1 and chase Volquez from the game.

Brad Brach relieved Volquez and induced back-to-back groundouts before intentionally walking Michael Young to get to Feldman, who helped his own cause by slapping a single into right field to score Cruz for a 6-1 lead.

The Padres responded in the bottom half after Cameron Maybin singled to start the frame and moved to third on Chase Headley's base hit through the right side.

After Carlos Quentin fanned, Alonso grounded softly to Kinsler, who flipped to Andrus for one out, but Andrus' throw to first was off-line, allowing Maybin to score to trim the deficit to 6-2.

Beltre belted a two-out homer in the seventh that hit the foul pole and bounced back into play. The umpires reviewed the play and ruled that the ball hit over the height of the wall to give Beltre his 12th homer of the year.

John Baker's pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the ninth accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland left the game in the bottom of the second inning with a left hamstring strain after grounding into a bases-loaded double play to end the top of the second...Volquez was making his first appearance against the Rangers after making his major league debut with the them back in 2005...The Padres took two of three from Texas the last time they hosted the Rangers in 2001.