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Kinsler powers Rangers past Angels

Apr 8, 2013 - 4:50 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Ian Kinsler clubbed a three-run home run and knocked in four runs overall to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday at Rangers Ballpark.

Kinsler collected three hits and scored twice, while Lance Berkman belted a two-run homer and David Murphy added a solo shot to help the Rangers earn the series victory.

Yu Darvish (2-0), fresh off his near perfect game, allowed three runs on six hits and four walks over five frames before a blister on his pitching hand forced him out of the contest. The right-hander struck out six.

"I didn't have everything today. It wasn't my 100 percent, but I had to grind it out," Darvish said through his translator. "The reason I was able to do that was because of all the support from my teammates."

Mark Trumbo plated a pair, while former Ranger Josh Hamilton broke out of a 1- for-20 slump with three hits and a run scored for the Angels, who went just 1- for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Jered Weaver (0-1) was touched for five runs on seven hits and four walks in five-plus innings to absorb the loss. Weaver took the mound to start the sixth, but he injured his left arm as he tried to avoid a Mitch Moreland liner back up the middle and had to be replaced.

"It's pretty painful. It feels a little swollen in there," Weaver said. "I can't move it around too good right now. It's strange. Kind of like jamming your thumb."

Darvish came within an eyelash of throwing a perfect game on Tuesday in Houston, but Marwin Gonzalez spoiled his bid at history with a single back up the middle with two outs in the ninth.

The Japanese right-hander had significantly more trouble in Sunday's outing, as he walked Mike Trout to start the game, plunked Erick Aybar and then issued a four-pitch walk to Albert Pujols to load the bases with no outs.

Hamilton had a chance to due some early damage, but he grounded into a double play that scored Trout for a 1-0 lead. Trumbo then followed with a single to score Aybar before Darvish fanned Howie Kendrick to escape the inning.

Texas quickly answered in the bottom half, as Kinsler worked a leadoff walk, and after Elvis Andrus lined out, Berkman belted a curveball over the right- center field fence to knot the game at 2-2.

After Adrian Beltre popped out, Murphy launched a first-pitch fastball deep over the wall in right-center field to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.

Texas added to its lead in the fourth when Geovany Soto stroked a one-out double and came around to score on Kinsler's two-out single.

LA answered in the top of the fifth, as Hamilton smacked a two-out single before Trumbo followed with a double to left to score Hamilton and bring the Angels within 4-3.

Moreland led off the sixth with a screaming line drive back up the middle that knocked Weaver to the ground. The ball missed the right-hander, but he appeared to twist his left arm as he braced his fall.

Mark Lowe replaced Weaver and uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Moreland to move to second. Moreland then found third on Soto's bunt before Leonys Martin worked a walk to put runners on the corners.

Kinsler provided the big blow of the inning, as he belted a 3-2 offering the opposite way into the right-field seats to extend Texas' lead to 7-3.

Texas' bullpen held the Angels down after Darvish departed to start the sixth, as Robbie Ross, Tanner Scheppers and Joe Nathan blanked the Halos over the final four frames to secure the victory.

Game Notes

Darvish struck out a career-high 14 batters over 111 pitches in his near perfect game on Tuesday ... LA left 10 men on base ... Texas went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five men on base.