Texas MLB Capsules: Hunter pitches Rangers over Orioles 6-4

BALTIMORE (AP) — The reliable duo of Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero provided the Texas Rangers with a satisfactory finish to an otherwise lamentable road trip.

Hamilton and Guerrero each hit three-run homers, Tommy Hunter earned his career-high 10th win and Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Sunday to split the four-game series.

The AL West-leading Rangers arrived in Baltimore after going 0-3 in Tampa Bay. By winning the series finale, Texas avoided its first multi-city road trip with only one win since a 1-12 trek in August 2005.

Hamilton and Guerrero both connected off Kevin Millwood (2-14). Hamilton homered in the first to put Texas up 3-0 after the game's seventh pitch, and Guerrero made it 6-1 with a drive in the fifth.

"It's nice to see those two guys come through. That's what we needed," manager Ron Washington said. "Any time you can get a win it's good, especially this one because we've got to fly. We can fly having fun, and it's nice to hear the music in the clubhouse."

Hamilton said, "We could have come off the road trip a lot worse than we did. We hung in there."

The Rangers are without injured Ian Kinsler, but Hamilton and Guerrero are picking up the slack. Hamilton has 28 homers and 88 RBIs and is batting .357 after going 7 for 13 in the last three games.

Guerrero went 2 for 4 Sunday and is batting .299 with 22 home runs and 91 RBIs.

"You almost go into games like that trying to minimize the damage with Hamilton and Vlady," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, now 12-8 since making his Baltimore debut on Aug. 3.

"They've got a pretty good track record," Millwood said of Hamilton and Guerrero. "You've got to make good pitches to them. The ball Hamilton hit out and the ball Guerrero hit out weren't good pitches."

Luke Scott hit his 100th career homer and Ty Wigginton also connected for Baltimore. The defeat assured the Orioles (44-81) of a 13th consecutive non-winning season.

Hunter (10-2) gave up three runs and five hits over eight innings in a third attempt at his 10th win. He did not walk a batter or register a strikeout — the longest outing for a pitcher in the majors without either since Justin Verlander did it over eight innings for Detroit in May 2006.

Hunter didn't get past the third inning in either of his last two starts and was 1-2 in his previous four.

"When you throw two-seamers, changeups, cutters and curveballs for strikes and you're able to be efficient with your pitches, you'll have a good outing," the right-hander said.

Neftali Feliz allowed Wigginton's 20th homer in the ninth, then struck out the side for his 31st save.

Scott's team-leading 24th homer came on an 0-2 pitch from Hunter. He has six home runs and 16 RBIs in 20 games this month.

Asked about his milestone homer, Scott said, "To have a chance to hit 100 home runs at the major league level, it's something that I'm humbled by. I'm thankful because it's been a lot of fun."

Millwood gave up six runs, six hits and two walks in six innings. It was the 400th career start for the veteran right-hander, who is 0-6 in nine outings since June 24.

"It's a lot less fun than winning a whole bunch of games," he said.

Millwood has allowed at least two first-inning runs in 12 of his last 16 starts. Of the 26 homers he's surrendered, 19 have come at Camden Yards.

It was the first time Millwood faced Texas since Aug. 17, 2005. The only major league teams he has never defeated are the Rangers, Minnesota and Atlanta.

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 21 minutes by rain. ... Showalter rested CF Adam Jones, who is hitless in his last 16 at-bats. ... The game was played on the third anniversary of the Rangers' 30-3 rout of Baltimore at Camden Yards. ... Guerrero has six home runs and 20 RBIs off Millwood, the most runs the Texas slugger has driven in against any pitcher.

Pence leads Astros past Marlins 2-1

The solo homer in the eighth inning Sunday helped the Houston Astros avert a series sweep by beating Florida 2-1.

Pence was more than halfway home before he realized his hit had cleared the left-field wall.

"I didn't know," he said. "The outfielders weren't going for the ball, but I didn't see any umpires. I must have missed it because I was just running. I was confused.

"I asked if it was gone, and they gave it to me."

Pence's 19th homer, one of only five hits for Houston, came with one out in the eighth off Jose Veras (2-1). Pence also drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

That was enough support for Nelson Figueroa and two relievers, who combined on a six-hitter. Wilton Lopez (5-0) faced only six batters in two innings, and Brandon Lyon earned his sixth save in seven chances by retiring Mike Stanton with two on to end the game.

The Marlins' defeat ended their season-best five-game winning streak, and the postgame mood in the clubhouse was especially glum because popular outfielder Cody Ross was awarded to the San Francisco Giants on a waiver claim.

The move signaled Marlins management is giving up on the season with the team at 62-61.

"You can characterize it as whatever you want — a white flag, or anything like that," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "We're realistic about where we are."

Figueroa and Marlins starter Andrew Miller were surprisingly effective. Figueroa, making his third start this season, retired 11 in a row during one stretch and allowed just one run — Gaby Sanchez's homer— in six innings.

Claimed off waivers last month, Figueroa is trying to help his chances for a rotation spot next season.

"I'm a guy that can throw four pitches for strikes, and there are not a lot of major league starters than can do that," he said. "For me, it's a matter of opportunity. One year, if I could get 30 starts, I would love to see what I could do."

Miller, making his first major league appearance since July 19, 2009, allowed one run in five innings before departing for a pinch-hitter. The left-hander replaced 14-game winner Ricky Nolasco, who was scratched from his scheduled start because of a partial tear in his right knee.

"I've been pitching in Double-A for the majority of the year," Miller said. "To get back out there and pitch in a major league game is obviously an unbelievable feeling. I think it was about as exciting as it gets."

Houston manufactured the game's first run in the third inning when Michael Bourn led off with a bunt single, stole second took third on a groundout and came home on Pence's fly.

Sanchez's 14th homer with two out in the sixth made it 1-all.

With runners in scoring position, Houston went 0 for 8, and Florida went 0 for 4. Figueroa gave up back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning to put runners at the corners, then retired the next three batters.

Figueroa worked out of the stretch in the final four innings he pitched, saying he felt more comfortable that way. He walked one and struck out seven.

"The guy knows what he's doing," Pence said. "The name of pitching is disrupting timing and location, and he does both of those as good as anyone in the game."

NOTES: Sanchez was not hurt when hit in the helmet by a pitch from Lyon. ... Houston starters have an ERA of 2.46 in the past 13 games. ... Veras has inherited 17 runners this season and left them all on base, which leads the major leagues. ... When Astros 3B Chris Johnson reached on a broken-bat single in the second inning, the barrel sailed into an empty section 15 rows behind the third-base dugout.

-- Steven Wine