Texas MLB Capsules: Hunter, Rangers beat Rays 3-1

ARLINGTON - Tommy Hunter gave the ailing Texas Rangers rotation a much-needed lift Friday night.

The rookie also got a cool birthday gift in the process.

Hunter earned his first career victory on his 23rd birthday, Hank Blalock homered and the Texas Rangers won their third in a row, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1.

"He has great poise," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of his young starter. "He's not afraid to lose any of his pitches in any count. He attacked the strike zone. The most important thing is they didn't know what he was going to throw."

Hunter (1-1) was making his sixth career start and third this season. The right-hander allowed three hits and struck out five in 5 1-3 innings to help slow down baseball's top-scoring offense.

With starters Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison sidelined, Hunter was called up from the minors Sunday and yielded two runs in 6 1-3 innings in a loss to San Diego.

Hunter went 0-2 with a 16.36 ERA in three starts last season. In the minors, he developed a changeup and a cut fastball.

Along with his first victory, Hunter's sister had a baby Friday to make him an uncle for the first time.

"It's fun to be able to use four pitches for strikes," Hunter said. "It keeps them off-balance. They had a lot of broken bats tonight. It went my way."

Jason Jennings, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco pitched 3 2-3 innings of scoreless relief to complete the three-hitter, which equals the fewest hits Tampa Bay has had this season. Francisco pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.

"We did not have a good game," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We made some mistakes and didn't come up with the clutch hit."

Blalock, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth to beat the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, had a two-run shot in the fourth.

B.J. Upton had an RBI single in the fifth, and the Rays were threatening to score more with runners on second and third in the inning.

Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler saved at least one run, and probably two, when he made a diving catch to his left on Carl Crawford's liner to end the fifth.

"They've got my back," Hunter said. "It's fun to play for a team like that."

Scott Kazmir (4-5) made his second start for Tampa Bay, which has won eight of 11, since coming off the disabled list June 27. The left-hander gave up three runs - one earned - and struck out six in five innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Andruw Jones reached on a throwing error from Tampa Bay shortstop Jason Bartlett.

Blalock was 0 for 7 lifetime with three strikeouts against Kazmir before he drove a 2-2 pitch into the seats in right to put the Rangers up 2-0.

"He made me pay," Kazmir said. "You don't throw a hanging slider to Blalock."

Texas scored its second unearned run in the fifth.

Kinsler reached on a fielder's choice and took second when Ben Zobrist made a wild throw on a double-play attempt.

Marlon Byrd brought Kinsler home with an RBI double that made it 3-1.

NOTES: Tampa Bay has moved RHP Jeff Niemann, who was Sunday's scheduled starter, into the bullpen for the weekend series. Matt Garza will start Sunday against the Rangers. Maddon said Niemann will likely be back in the rotation next week. ... Washington said RHP Vicente Padilla (sore shoulder) is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Angels. Padilla was originally slated to pitch Saturday, but was pushed back. ... There was no delay when a bank of lights along the third-base line went out in the eighth inning. All lights were working again a few minutes later. On June 13, the Rangers game against the Dodgers was delayed nearly two hours when a light standard went dark.

Ryan said it's still business as usual for Rangers 

ARLINGTON - Texas team president Nolan Ryan said Friday that the club is not hamstrung by owner Tom Hicks' financial difficulties, a day after a report that Major League Baseball loaned millions to the team owner.

"There haven't been any restrictions put on us," Ryan said. "I just think as we get closer to the trade deadline, we'll see what we might be able to be put together. If we think it is in our best interest, then obviously we'll take it to Tom."

Yahoo! Sports, citing a major league source, reported Thursday a loan was made to Hicks Sports Group and that the amount was believed to be for less than $15 million.

Hicks said in May he was willing to sell controlling interest in the franchise. Earlier this year, Hicks Sports Group defaulted on $525 million in loans backed by the Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars, the other U.S. sports franchise Hicks owns.

Hicks was out of town and unavailable for comment. Texas vice president of communications John Blake said the team would not comment on the Yahoo! story.

"I don't expect to see anything happen during the course of the season," said Ryan, who has been rumored to be part of a group expressing interest in purchasing Rangers ownership. "If there's an ownership change, I think it'll be in the offseason or the spring. That will be my expectation."

Texas began the season with a payroll of $68.6 million, 22nd among the 30 big league teams.

The Rangers entered play Friday a game behind in the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West.

"I don't look into it much because it's not my problem," Texas reliever Eddie Guardado said. "I was told by a veteran player when I was young not to worry about the things you can't control."

Two years ago, Hicks combined with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. to buy Liverpool of the English Premier League through a different entity, Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd. It has been negotiating to refinance $574 million of debt before a July 24 deadline.

Gillett agreed last month to sell the Canadiens, the Gillett Entertainment Centre and the Bell Centre.

-- David Jimenez

Hamilton's return put on hold

ARLINGTON - Josh Hamilton's return to the Texas Rangers has been put on hold.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Friday night that the All-Star center fielder will play at least one more rehab game for Triple-A Oklahoma City as he attempts to come back from abdominal surgery.

Hamilton was supposed to play the outfield Friday night at Iowa. After a rain delay, he went 0 for 5 as the designated hitter.

"Hamilton was the DH because of the weather in Iowa," Washington said. "He'll be in the outfield (Saturday)."

Hamilton, who also played one game with Double-A Frisco, is 2 for 20 in four minor-league games.

He went on the disabled list June 1 and had surgery eight days later.

Giants get 15 hits in 13-0 rout of Astros

SAN FRANCISCO - Pablo Sandoval had a feeling back in spring training that the San Francisco Giants could have high-output offensive nights like this.

It certainly helped ease any nerves rookie Ryan Sadowski may have had in his home debut.

Sandoval hit a two-run homer and an RBI triple to boost his bid for an All-Star spot and stake Sadowski to a quick cushion, and the Giants routed the Houston Astros 13-0 on Friday night.

"That makes a huge difference," Sadowski said. "It was awesome today."

Travis Ishikawa added a three-run homer that was initially ruled a double before the umpire crew went to the replay booth, at the urging of San Francisco skipper Bruce Bochy. The ball hit off the railing of the right-field arcade and Ishikawa stayed at second until getting to finish his trot about 3 minutes later.

The review was the first this season at AT&T Park, where there was one in late September last year after replay was implemented.

Randy Winn added a two-run triple and Nate Schierholtz an RBI single in the Giants' six-run second that chased Felipe Paulino (2-5). San Francisco, which already had 14 of its 15 hits by the third inning, snapped a six-game losing streak to the Astros.

"That's the offense I knew we had from the start of the season," Sandoval said.

The Giants' runs were a season high and this was their majors-best 10th shutout. Jonathan Sanchez pitched two innings of relief to finish it.

"We don't do that very often," Bochy said. "The offense was there. The kid was good, he was outstanding. We had it all going tonight."

Sadowski pitched another gem, not allowing a hit until Lance Berkman's one-out single in the fourth. The 26-year-old righty has 13 scoreless innings to start his career, the longest such streak by a Giant since Mike Remlinger's 15 shutout innings in 1991, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Sadowski worked six innings in his first big league start last Sunday in a 7-0 win at Milwaukee, then topped that with seven more scoreless innings. Pretty impressive for a guy who was never in major league camp this spring and whose bio is buried among the minor leaguers in the back of the media guide.

Sandoval tripled in a four-run third. If he and starters Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are all All-Stars, it would be the first time the Giants have sent three players to the Midsummer Classic since Barry Bonds, Robb Nen and Benito Santiago in 2002.

Schierholtz added an RBI double in the third.

"It was definitely one of those games. We haven't had one of these for quite some time," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "It seemed like they knew what was coming the way they were swinging. It's tough when you're down like that so fast."

Paulino got in trouble in a hurry in his first career appearance against San Francisco, needing a mound visit in the first from pitching coach Dewey Robinson. The right-hander was tagged for nine runs - eight earned - and nine hits in two innings in his second start since being activated from the disabled list following a right groin strain. He beat the Tigers last Saturday, but this time saw his ERA go from 5.51 to 6.66.

"It was unbelievable. They hit everything," Paulino said. "Even when I made a good pitch they hit it."

The Astros took three of four from the Giants in San Francisco last year and captured the season series 7-1.

San Francisco scored its most runs since a 13-0 home win against Arizona on July 1, 2007.

NOTES: After the game, the Giants optioned 2B Matt Downs to Triple-A Fresno to clear room for INF Rich Aurilia to come off the bereavement list Saturday. ... Winn left the game following the second inning after fouling a ball of his foot. He expects to play Saturday. ... Michael Bourn ended an 0-for-27 streak to start his career vs. San Francisco. ... Former Giant RHP Russ Ortiz starts Saturday for Houston. "I think at heart (I'm still a Giant)," said Ortiz, who pitched Game 6 of the 2002 World Series when San Francisco collapsed against the eventual-champion Angels. "Most people recognize me as a Giant. This is where I spent most of my time in the big leagues. This will always be a special part of my career."

-- Janie McCauley