Rangers 5, Tigers 1
DETROIT -- Cole Hamels allowed a bloop leadoff single to Ian Kinsler in the bottom of the first but held scuffling Detroit hitless through the rest of his seven innings and Rougned Odor added a two-run double to a solo home run as part of the Texas Rangers' 5-1 victory over the Tigers in a Friday night match-up of two teams on three-game losing streaks.
Hamels (4-0) is now 5-0 in five starts following Texas losses. He struck out nine and walked two, largely with precision breaking stuff, in his seven innings to best Detroit's Jordan Zimmermann (5-1).
Lefty Jake Diekman worked the eighth, striking out two, and Sam Dyson finished the game for Texas.
Kinsler greeted Dyson with a line double to extreme left and went to third on an error by shortstop Elvis Andrus on Mike Aviles' ground ball up the middle. Kinsler scored when Miguel Cabrera hit into a double play.
Kinsler's single was a bloop hit that fell near the right field foul line between the racing Odor and right fielder Nomar Mazara. He stole second and advanced to third on a one-out groundout but was stranded there.
Detroit totaled 12 hits in its last three losses. Zimmerman gave up a walk and seven hits while striking out two in eight innings.
Odor drove his two-run double in the gap in left center in the ninth following a pair of one-out singles plus a botched squeeze play.
Zimmermann, the American League Pitcher of the Month for April at 5-0 with a 0.55 ERA, retired the first five batters he faced but allowed three straight hits which produced two Texas runs.
Mitch Moreland singled and scored on a double to right by Elvis Andrus. Bobby Wilson, who was with Detroit last week, lined a single to left to score Andrus.
Odor hammered his fifth home run of the season into the right field seats with two out in the fifth for the Rangers' third run.
NOTES: Disabled Tigers RHP Shane Greene suffered a crack in the blister on his right middle finger during a bullpen session Thursday that likely will give rookie RHP Michael Fulmer a chance to make his third start for Detroit. ... Texas RHP Anthony Ranaudo, just called up from the minors, will fill the role of optioned RHP Phil Klein as a long reliever. ... Rangers RHP Yu Darvish was to make his second rehab start on Friday night for Triple-A Round Rock. ... Tigers RF J.D. Martinez was not in the starting lineup. "He hasn't had a day off and he's been scuffling lately," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said.