Hamels pitches Rangers to 1-0 win over Cardinals

St. Louis second: Stephen Piscotty homered on the first pitch of the inning.

Cole Hamels (7-1) outdueled Wacha, pitching 7 2/3 innings.

Profar’s hit off rookie reliever Matt Bowman (1-2) scored Rougned Odor and Mitch Moreland, making a victor of reliever Tony Barnette (4-2), who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The blast marked the 19th home run hit by the Rangers through the first eight games of a 10-game trip. It was his longest scoreless outing of the season and longest since he threw a no-hitter against the Cubs on July 25, 2015, as a member of the Phillies. “You’ve got to take a chance there, though”. He was methodical and in control save that one pitch which stayed up in the zone, flawless for Odor to connect. Hudson, who was 9-5 with a 2.55 ERA as the Friday night starter at Mississippi State, signed for a $2-million bonus, slightly above slot value. He turned in his fourth consecutive quality start.

“Let’s call him a good hitter who hits the ball out of the ballpark occasionally”, Banister said. I liked the pitch selection to (Profar). That’s pretty useful. Or, I don’t know, the entire team. When you have the objective behind it, then it’s just letting it happen.

– Rested and refreshed: Colby Lewis’ complete game Thursday gave the Rangers’ heavily-worked bullpen an important day off during a 20-game stretch.

Martinez is certainly no stranger to the role, as he started 45 games over the last two years, second only to Colby Lewis’ 62 on the staff.

“I just can’t let Colby walk away and make it easy”. “But the changeup was a great pitch for him today and a shame we couldn’t get something going”.

“In the beginning of the season, I felt like I was going through a slump”, Martinez said through an interpreter. “We’re trying to push each other and help this team out the best we can”.

That set the stage for Profar, who worked the count to 2-2 before producing the game-winning hit in his first pinch-hit appearance of the year.

Sam Dyson picked up his 12th save.

Saturday’s win gave the Rangers nine consecutive series wins, a franchise record, and upped their American League West lead over Seattle to 7?? games. He is the first Cardinals starter to lose seven straight decisions since Kip Wells in 2007. It was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, but still won for the 21st time after trailing in a game.

“It stings right now, that’s for sure”, Matheny said. “He’s patient at the plate when he needs to be, he covers the outer part of the plate as good as anybody and he can turn on a pitch”. “I was just sitting there but everybody on the bench has got to be ready to hit”.

The Cardinals recalled 2B Kolten Wong and optioned OF Jeremy Hazelbaker to Triple-A Memphis.

A center-fielder during his freshman year at the University of Hawaii, Wong played three errorless games there in Memphis.

Rangers: RHP Tom Wilhelmsen cleared waivers and declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, becoming a free agent. He is replacing Yu Darvish in the starting rotation while Darvish is on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder discomfort.

The Cardinals will try to salvage the final game of the series Sunday afternoon when they send Mike Leake (5-4, 4.08 ERA) to the mound against the Rangers’ Martin Perez (6-4, 3.38 ERA). He earned his first career relief win at Oakland on Wednesday.