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Hamilton hopes to build off career night

May 17, 2008 - 2:45 PM Houston (24-19) at Texas (21-22), 7:05 pm EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Josh Hamilton and the Texas Rangers finally gave Lance Berkman a dose of his own medicine.

The Rangers look to do it again Saturday when they battle the Houston Astros in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series.

Hamilton homered twice and drove in five runs Friday as the Rangers rolled to a 16-8 rout of the Astros.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Murphy, Chris Shelton and Michael Young also went deep, as Texas hit six homers and scored its most runs of the season.

Hamilton, who went 5-for-5, hit a solo homer in the second and a two-run shot in the fourth before adding an RBI triple in the seventh. He became the first Ranger since 2002 to get five hits and two homers in a game.

"It was a great night. That's why you play the game, right there," Hamilton said. "It doesn't happen all the time - but when it does, that's what keeps you coming back. It was an awesome night."

"Hamilton was really impressive," said Berkman, who has been terrorizing the majors over the last few weeks. "He's got tremendous bat speed."

Berkman, who leads the majors with 15 homers, is currently on a 15-game hitting streak. He is batting .542 (32-for-59) with seven homers and 20 RBI over that stretch.

Houston, which has posted an 11-3 record this month, will send righthander Roy Oswalt (4-3, 5.05 ERA) to the mound in the "Battle for the Silver Boot" - the name given to this all-Texas affair.

Oswalt is seeking his fifth straight win after tossing eight solid frames during Monday's 7-3 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Winners in eight of their last 10 games, the Rangers will counter with Vicente Padilla (5-2, 3.23), who gave up six runs - three earned - over five innings during Monday's 13-12 triumph over the Seattle Mariners.