Orioles win opener, but Texas wins nightcap

After staging a dazzling long-ball performance in the opener of a doubleheader, the Baltimore Orioles were victimized in similar fashion by the hottest hitter in the game.

Josh Hamilton hit his major league-leading 15th homer and Derek Holland pitched six innings of four-hit ball as the Texas Rangers beat Baltimore, 7-3, Thursday night for a doubleheader split.

In the first game, the Orioles set an AL record by hitting home runs in their first three at-bats and launched five in all against Colby Lewis (3-2) in a 6-5 victory.

Hamilton entered the doubleheader coming off a four-homer game and had five home runs in his previous six at-bats. After going 1-for-4 with a single and two strikeouts in the first game, he resumed his assault on Baltimore pitching by hitting a two-run shot in the first inning off former Ranger Tommy Hunter (2-2).

Asked if Hamilton hit a good pitch, Hunter replied, "He hit a baseball. The dude's on fire. What do you want me to say?"

Hamilton went 1-for-4 in the nightcap, dropping his average to .395 but increasing his major league-leading RBI total to 38. "I was pretty happy I had a good series," he said.

Indians 8, Red Sox 3: Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer and Jason Kipnis added a solo shot off Josh Beckett (2-4), who already was in hot water with Red Sox fans at Fenway Park for playing golf last week a day after he was scratched with a sore lat muscle in his back. Beckett was booed off the field in the third inning.

Blue Jays 6, Twins 2: Henderson Alvarez (3-2) pitched seven innings and Yunel Escobar had four hits and three runs for visiting Toronto.

Nationals 4, Pirates 2: Stephen Strasburg (3-0) struck out a season-high 13 in six innings for visiting Washington.-- AP