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Bradley propels Rangers past Athletics

May 11, 2008 - 4:56 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Milton Bradley and the Texas Rangers actually won a game by outscoring an opponent.

Bradley homered and drove in three runs as the Rangers posted a 6-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

Josh Hamilton went 3-for-4, scored a run and added an RBI as the home team overcame an injury to starter Kevin Millwood to post its season-high fifth straight victory.

The Rangers earned the win despite giving up a run for the first time in four games. Texas had registered three consecutive shutouts entering this game and were trying to become the first club in more than 12 years to collect four consecutive blankings.

However, that dream ended when Oakland scored a run in the top of the third on an RBI groundout by Emil Brown off Rangers reliever Josh Rupe (1-1) to tie the score at 1-1. The run snapped Texas' scoreless streak at 33 2/3 innings.

"Even though the streak ended, chalk it up as a good day for the bullpen," Rupe said. "What's important is getting the win and seeing the bullpen beginning to really find our rhythm out there."

The Rangers had taken an initial lead in the first, when Bradley doubled off the center-field wall against Oakland starter Dana Eveland (3-3), plating Josh Hamilton from first base.

With the game tied in the bottom of the third, Bradley belted a two-run homer off Eveland for his fifth blast of the season and a 3-1 lead for Texas.

"I didn't expect Eveland to throw me much over the plate tonight, but he threw me two and I hit both of them," Bradley said.

Eveland allowed three runs, six hits and two walks while striking out five in six innings.

"I threw the ball really well today," Eveland said. "I just made two mistakes to the guy we said we weren't going to make mistakes to - and those hurt.

"One was a fastball right down the middle that was supposed to be a four-seamer away, but I put it right over the plate. The other was a 1-0 changeup, a terrible pitch to a hitter who's really hot right now."

Five relievers helped make that lead stand up, beginning with Rupe, who entered the game in the first after Millwood left the game after two outs and just 12 pitches due to a mild right groin strain.

"I felt it on the first pitch to (Jack) Cust," Millwood said. "I tried to throw another pitch and same thing, I just couldn't push off without it biting. Hopefully it's not bad and we stopped in time so it will heal quickly."

Rupe hurled three innings but allowed a sacrifice fly to Ryan Sweeney in the fourth that cut the Athletics' deficit to 3-2. One out later, Rupe was lifted for Frank Francisco, who went 2 1/3 frames while striking out five.

"This bullpen has been awesome," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "It was hot out there (88 degrees). Rupe did what he could do and then Francisco came in and picked him up.

"When Frankie showed he could get the breaking ball over the plate, they couldn't cheat on him like they had been and it only served to make his fastball that much better."

The Rangers third reliever of the night, Eddie Guardado, pitched to three batters in the seventh before Joaquin Benoit struck out Frank Thomas to get the last out of the inning. Benoit also pitched a scoreless eighth.

Hamilton added an RBI single in the seventh and Texas added two more runs with two outs in the eighth on an RBI double by rookie German Duran and a run-scoring base hit by Ian Kinsler to make it 6-2.

"We're really starting to pick up some two-out RBI," Washington said. "More than just one guy is picking up opportunities that we were leaving out there early in the season and that's the difference."

C.J. Wilson surrendered two runs in the ninth before inducing Brown to pop out to second, ending the game.