Angels Blast Millwood, Defeat Rangers 9-4

Angels spoil the return of Texas slugger Josh Hamilton.

Jeff Mathis hit a go-ahead three-run homer, Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera added two-run singles, and the Los Angeles Angels beat Texas 9-4 on Monday night, spoiling the return of Josh Hamilton to the Rangers' lineup.

The teams entered the game tied for first place in the AL West.

Hamilton, an All-Star starter, was 2 for 4 with a double and two strikeouts, after spending the previous 30 games on the disabled list after undergoing abdominal surgery.

Texas was 15-15 in Hamilton's absence. The Rangers led the Angels by 4½ games when he went on the DL for the second time this season on June 2.

Kevin Millwood (8-6) gave up nine runs and nine hits over five innings in the shortest of his 18 starts this season. He has given up 13 runs and 17 hits over 11 1-3 innings in his last two starts -- both against the Angels -- after giving up just seven runs in 40 2-3 innings over his previous six outings.

Jered Weaver (9-3) allowed four runs and seven hits and struck out nine through seven innings after the Angels staked him to a 9-2 lead. He gave a two-run homer in the seventh to Ian Kinsler, which snapped a career-worst 0-for-24 drought by the Rangers' second baseman.

Mathis gave Los Angeles a 3-2 lead, hitting his third homer of the season to left-center with two outs in the second.

The Angels made it 5-2 in the third with RBIs singles by Hunter and Rivera. They tacked on four more in the fifth when Hunter singled home a run, Vladimir Guerrero followed with an RBI double, Rivera an RBI single and Kendry Morales capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.

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The Rangers, coming off a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays and looking to improve on their 5-1 record against the Angels, took a 2-0 lead in the first.

Hank Blalock singled home Michael Young, and Hamilton scored behind him after Hunter's throw from center field skipped past third baseman Chone Figgins and off umpire Chuck Meriwether as Hamilton slid into the bag. Figgins was charged with his ninth error, and Hunter was able to extend his errorless streak to 235 consecutive games -- the longest active streak among outfielders.
Guerrero, back in the DH spot one night after starting in right field for the first time this season, was 2 for 4 with an RBI. The 2004 AL MVP is batting .398 lifetime against the Rangers with 22 homers and 64 RBIs.
 

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