Hamilton twice puts Texas ahead in 5-3 win over Rays

327 for the Rangers.TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Southwest (Texas)PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.52 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (1-2, 5.81)Karns is unbeaten in his last four starts, recording three victories while allowing seven runs over 21 1/3 innings with 22 strikeouts and six walks. He described his issue as thin cartilage and like a bone bruise.

Unfortunately for Karns, it showed, as he got off to a rough start and didn’t get through the fifth inning, having allowed two runs but five walks and a hit batter along with two hits.

Texas (57-57) won its season-best fifth straight at home and pulled with one half-game of the Rays, who are two games behind the Los Angeles Angels for the AL’s second wild-card spot.

Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton still has soreness in his left knee. Hamilton’s sacrifice fly to center scored Beltre for the 4-3 lead and Elvis Andrus’ single up the middle scored Moreland, who had moved to third on the sac fly, to make it 5-3.

“Definitely constructive, and helped me perceive that I can go there and run round and play”, Hamilton stated. Shawn Tolleson labored the ninth for his 22nd save in 23 possibilities – all since May 20.

The final replay review in the seventh resulted in a 3-5 double play.

THE BATS: In the first, 3B Adrian Beltre grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and none out.

“I could see that his foot was off the bag a little, so I figured if we did challenge it, we’d probably win”, said Guyer, who two innings later was initially called safe trying to stretch a hit into a double before being out on the overturn.

Perez has a 2.69 ERA over his last three starts since being shelled July 28, giving up eight runs on seven hits in one inning against the New York Yankees. There have never been four. But he walked five in his 81 pitches over 4 2/3 innings.

“It was just nice to be able to get out on the mound again”, Hamels said. He threw a bullpen session before Friday’s game and says everything felt “pretty good”. The Rays activated OF Desmond Jennings, who has been out since April with a knee injury, and optioned OF Joey Butler to Triple-A Durham.3.

The Rangers were the first to strike, scoring one in the first though they could’ve had more.