Rapid Reaction: Rangers 11, Rays 5

May, 30, 2011
5/30/11
9:29
PM CT

Outside of one inning, the Rangers dominated Tampa Bay on Monday, piling up a season-high 20 hits in to open a seven-game road trip with an 11-5 victory.

The Rangers, powered by Mike Napoli's three-run homer in the third inning, scored eight times before the Rays got their first run. It was the first of two home runs for the red-hot Napoli.

Derek Holland got the win despite running into trouble in the sixth inning with a 9-1 lead. Holland gave up three hits, including two home runs, and walked two batters in the sixth. Justin Ruggiano's three-run homer pulled Tampa Bay within 9-5 and chased Holland.

But the bullpen didn't let the Rays get any closer, and the bats kept producing.

Holland (4-1), who ended a streak of six consecutive no-decisions, gave up five runs on five hits with five walks and seven strikeout in 5 2/3 innings. Holland's last decision was an April 22 win over the Royals.

* The Rangers scored five runs in the third inning to build a 7-0 lead. Napoli's three-run shot was followed by Endy Chavez' second home run of the year. Napoli wound up going 3-for-6 with two home runs, a double and five RBIs. He's up to 10 home runs for the year, one behind Adrian Beltre for the team lead.

* Napoli added 30 points to his batting average over the last two games and is now hitting .229. He's homered in each of the last three games.

* Mitch Moreland also homered for the Rangers, a solo shot off a Tropicana Field right-field catwalk in the fourth inning that was his seventh of the year. His batting average is .301 after a 2-for-4 game. He scored three runs.

* The Rangers have hit at least four home runs in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. In their last four games, three victories and an extra-inning loss, the Rangers have scored 35 runs.

* Every Rangers batter got a hit. Nelson Cruz was the last to join in, doubling with one out in the ninth inning.

* Cruz and David Murphy were the only Rangers without more than one hit. Elvis Andrus, Michael Young, Napoli and Chavez each had three hits.

* The Rangers have won three straight and are 5-2 since Josh Hamilton and Cruz came off the disabled list. It's their first three-game win streak since they swept the Royals on April 22-24.

* Three relievers combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings to close out the game for Texas. Darren Oliver had the biggest role, allowing one hit and striking out three in two innings.

* The Rays committed three errors after not committing more than one in a game all year. Only on of the Rangers' runs, however, was unearned.

* The Rays used seven pitchers. Starter Wade Davis was chased with two outs in the third inning after being tagged for seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits and a walk. His ERA jumped from 3.71 to 4.39.
<a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/30452/mitch-moreland">Mitch Moreland</a> also homered for the Rangers, a solo shot in the fourth inning that was his seventh of the year. His batting average is .301 after a 2-for-4 game. He scored three runs.

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