Hamilton and Cruz homer in triumphant return
Source: Agencies |
May 25, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SLUGGERS Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz returned to the Texas lineup in style, each blasting home runs in the Rangers' 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
Hamilton, last season's American League Most Valuable Player, had missed six weeks since fracturing a bone in his right arm while Cruz had been sidelined since May 3 with a strained right quadriceps muscle.
Neither showed any rust in their return, which brought some much-needed muscle to the middle of the Texas batting order. Hamilton received a standing ovation from the home crowd in his first at-bat, then wasted little time rewarding the support by belting his first homer of the season in the opening inning.
"It felt good to get it out of the way," Hamilton said after finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
"Get the nervousness over. I got to calm it down a little bit after I got down in the dugout and sat down for a little bit."
Cruz followed with a two-run bomb in the sixth for last season's AL champions Texas (25-23), which maintained its half-game lead in the AL West and should be bolstered by the impact of two of its top hitters.
In Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera's two-out RBI double in the eighth inning - the latest big hit delivered by Cleveland's shortstop - rallied the Indians to a 3-2 win over Boston, which also lost second baseman Dustin Pedroia with a leg injury.
In New York, J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run double in a five-run sixth inning and Jose Bautista homered to back spot starter Carlos Villanueva and lift Toronto to a 7-3 victory over New York.
Elsewhere, it was: Tigers 6, Rays 3; Mariners 8, Twins 7; Angels 4, Athletics 1.
In the National League, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Raul Ibanez homered to back Cole Hamels as the Philadelphia Phillies handed the Cincinnati Reds their sixth straight loss, 10-3.
Also, it was: Brewers 11, Nationals 3; Cardinals 3, Padres 1; and Astros 4, Dodgers 3.
Hamilton, last season's American League Most Valuable Player, had missed six weeks since fracturing a bone in his right arm while Cruz had been sidelined since May 3 with a strained right quadriceps muscle.
Neither showed any rust in their return, which brought some much-needed muscle to the middle of the Texas batting order. Hamilton received a standing ovation from the home crowd in his first at-bat, then wasted little time rewarding the support by belting his first homer of the season in the opening inning.
"It felt good to get it out of the way," Hamilton said after finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
"Get the nervousness over. I got to calm it down a little bit after I got down in the dugout and sat down for a little bit."
Cruz followed with a two-run bomb in the sixth for last season's AL champions Texas (25-23), which maintained its half-game lead in the AL West and should be bolstered by the impact of two of its top hitters.
In Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera's two-out RBI double in the eighth inning - the latest big hit delivered by Cleveland's shortstop - rallied the Indians to a 3-2 win over Boston, which also lost second baseman Dustin Pedroia with a leg injury.
In New York, J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run double in a five-run sixth inning and Jose Bautista homered to back spot starter Carlos Villanueva and lift Toronto to a 7-3 victory over New York.
Elsewhere, it was: Tigers 6, Rays 3; Mariners 8, Twins 7; Angels 4, Athletics 1.
In the National League, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Raul Ibanez homered to back Cole Hamels as the Philadelphia Phillies handed the Cincinnati Reds their sixth straight loss, 10-3.
Also, it was: Brewers 11, Nationals 3; Cardinals 3, Padres 1; and Astros 4, Dodgers 3.
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