Rangers 4, Padres 2

Yu Darvish pitched eight strong innings as visiting Texas squeezed past San Diego to complete the three-game sweep.

Alberto Gonzalez, Nelson Cruz and Yorvit Torrealba each drove in a run and Joe Nathan earned his 15th save for the Rangers, who have won six straight.

Darvish (9-4) allowed two runs and five hits while walking three and striking out eight. The Japanese right-hander has gone eight innings to win each of his last two starts.

Padres starter Anthony Bass allowed one run on three hits in five innings and gave his team a 2-0 lead in the second, when he ripped an 0-2 fastball from Darvish down the first-base line for a two-run single.

Bass was lifted after only 60 pitches due to inflammation in his right shoulder.

The Rangers cut it to 2-1 in the fifth against Bass, when David Murphy walked, stole second and scored on Gonzalez’s single.

Texas took the lead against the San Diego bullpen in the sixth. Dale Thayer (0-2) loaded the bases on two hits and an intentional walk before allowing the tying run on Cruz’s groundout. The Padres tried to turn an inning-ending double play but Cruz just beat the throw to first.

Alex Hinshaw came on and walked two more, including Yorvit Torrealba to force across Josh Hamilton with the go-ahead score.

Michael Young added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to push the lead to 4-2.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Roy Oswalt will make his Texas debut on Friday against the Colorado Rockies. … If Bass is forced to the disabled list, he would join fellow San Diego starters Tim Stauffer, Dustin Moseley, Eric Stults and Cory Luebke. … The Rangers improved to a major-league best 12-3 in interleague play.
Final1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9thRHE
Texas RangersRangers000012100472
San Diego PadresPadres020000000260
WP:Yu Darvish (TEX)
LP:Dale Thayer (SD)
Season Series
San DiegoStatsTexas
0-3Vs3-0
.248Batting Average.240
2.0Runs / Game4.3
0Home Runs1
0Errors2