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Hamilton's homer in 10th lifts Rangers over Twins

May 22, 2008 - 11:23 PM By Jon Avise PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Josh Hamilton had to ask his way into the lineup Thursday of the Texas Rangers' series finale with the Minnesota Twins. Manager Ron Washington couldn't be happier he did.

Hamilton homered in the top of the 10th inning as the Rangers salvaged a split of a four-game series with an 8-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Hamilton drilled his team-leading 12th home run of the season to left field off rookie Brian Bass (1-1) on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the frame.

The American League leader in RBI, Hamilton had walked into the Metrodome's visiting clubhouse to find he was slated for a day off he didn't want. So he went to Washington and told the skipper he wanted to take the field.

Then he delivered, going 3-for-5, driving in three runs and putting Texas ahead for good in a game that saw them blow an early four-run lead.

"I want to be in there playing every day unless something's wrong with me," Hamilton said.

The Rangers had 16 hits on the day, including three by rookie David Murphy. However, they hit into two double plays en route to stranding 13 runners.

Joaquin Benoit (3-1) picked up the win despite allowing two runs, three hits and two walks in two innings. Closer C.J. Wilson struck out one in a perfect 10th for his nine save, and first since May 7.

"The whole team hung in there today and really picked each other up," Washington said.

After a team-record 17 losses in April, Texas has bounced back to go 14-7 in May, matching Boston for the best record in the AL this month and moving within a game of the .500 mark at 24-25.

It's the Rangers' youth, closer Wilson said, that accounts for the Texas turnaround.

"You have guys like Murphy and Hamilton who have a year or less in the big leagues and they're already a huge part of our lineup," Wilson said. "And they're just going to get better."

Hamilton's spectacular start to the season he's now hitting .335 with those 12 homers and 53 RBI doesn't hurt either.

"He could go down as the best Rule V pick in history," he said.

Texas burst out of the gates with four runs in the first inning, jumping on Minnesota starter Livan Hernandez, who labored through a 31-pitch frame, giving up a hit to five of the first six batters he faced.

Ian Kinsler led off the game with a single to left field, Michael Young followed with a double down the right field line and Hamilton opened the scoring with a flyball to left.

Milton Bradley followed with an RBI single to center, Murphy doubled and Gerald Laird beat out an infield single, enabling Bradley to score. Murphy would also score after a groundout by Marlon Byrd to cap the Rangers' strong start.

The Twins also threatened a big first, loading the bases before Delmon Young grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Although it went on to strand 11 runners, Minnesota eventually chipped its way back into the game, closing within 6-5 after Michael Cuddyer drew a bases-loaded walk - the second of the inning - against Frank Francisco in the sixth.

Although the Rangers would extend the lead to 7-5 in the top of the seventh when Bradley scored on a throwing error by pitcher Matt Guerrier, Justin Morneau knotted the score with a two-run single off Benoit in the eighth.

Carlos Gomez, acquired from the New York Mets in the deal for Johan Santana, played a huge role in comeback for the Twins, collecting four hits and knocking in three runs.

The 22-year-old center fielder delivered a two-run single in the second inning and connected on his fourth homer of the season off Texas starter Vicente Padilla in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-3.

"I try to put the ball in play because I can do a lot of things," Gomez said. "Because I can hit, I got power."

Gomez also starred in the field, robbing Bradley of a base hit with a driving catch to end the eighth.

The Rangers pulled back ahead at 6-3 on a two-run double by Chris Shelton in the sixth, but the ineffectiveness of Jamey Wright and Francisco in the bottom half of that frame nearly wiped that out.

After Wright quickly recorded the first two outs in the sixth, the righthander allowed a single to Mike Lamb, walked Alexi Casilla and hit Gomez to load the bases. Brendan Harris then worked a walk to make it 6-4 before Wright was lifted.

Francisco issued another run-scoring walk to Cuddyer before escaping from the jam by getting Morneau to pop out to left field.