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Following a day off, the Texas Rangers begin a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. LHP Derek Holland will face RHP Brandon Morrow. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and TXA-21. Here’s a closer look at the pitchers:

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Holland (3-3, 4.27 ERA): Holland looks to bounce back from his last start Saturday against the Houston Astros. He allowed five runs on five hits -- three of them were home runs -- in five innings during the 6-5 loss. …Holland is 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts, dropping his ERA from 5.13 to 4.27. … He pitched a complete game shutout on 95 pitches last season in his last matchup against the Blue Jays on July 30 at the Rogers Centre. … Holland is 2-1 with a 5.55 ERA in five games against the Blue Jays.

Morrow (5-2, 2.63 ERA): Morrow is off to an impressive start this season. In his last outing, he had a complete game shutout against the New York Mets on Saturday. … He’s 3-0 with a 0.63 ERA on the road in four starts with a .156 opponent batting average. … Morrow picked up a win in his last start against the Rangers on July 31 last season. He allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings and struck out 11. … In seven games against the Rangers, Morrow is 3-3 with a 5.46 ERA. … He’s 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in four appearances at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. … Morrow’s ERA ranks sixth in the American League and his 0.96 WHIP is fourth best in the AL.

Hitters: Ian Kinsler (6-for-16), Michael Young (6-for-15), David Murphy (4-for-11) and Elvis Andrus (3-for-7) have been the most successful against Morrow. Nelson Cruz (1-for-13), Mike Napoli (2-for-14) and Josh Hamilton (2-for-9) have struggled. … The Blue jays have a .256 batting average and .329 slugging percentage against Holland. … The Blue Jays’ No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and J.P Arencibia are 6-for-23 against Holland with zero home runs and five strikeouts. … Adam Lind has the most hits on the Blue Jays off Holland (4-for-12).

Up Next:

Sat. vs. Tor.: RHP Colby Lewis (4-3, 3.30) vs. RHP Henderson Alvarez (3-4, 3.30), 2:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540/FSSW
Sun. vs. Tor.: RHP Yu Darvish (6-2, 3.05) vs. RHP Kyle Drabek (4-4, 3.27), 2:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3/1540/FSSW
Mon. vs. Sea.: LHP Matt Harrison (5-3, 4.72) vs. RHP Kevin Millwood (3-4, 3.72), 7:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3/1540/FSSW/MLB Network

HOUSTON -- Derek Holland said he was frustrated but everything he tried failed.

The Texas Rangers left-handed starter lost a four-run lead, gave up a season-high three home runs and was taken out after just five innings.

He took the loss in a 6-5 victory for the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

It was Holland's first start since May 10, but he pitched one inning of relief Monday against Kansas City and had one bullpen session before the team arrived here.

So with all the rest, what happened?

"The first two innings, he was real sharp," manager Ron Washington said. "Then all of a sudden he couldn't get the ball to his arm side, which means he had to come to the middle of the plate or inside, and he didn't get there and those right-handed hitters just turned him around. When the first two innings started, I thought he was on his way to having a pretty good game, it just didn't turn out that way. He got the ball up and got into some wrong spots and those right-handed hitters didn't miss it."

Holland (3-3) allowed five runs, all earned, on five hits and two walks. He struck out six while throwing 100 pitches. In the first three innings, Holland struck out three and only allowed two hits, an infield single by Jed Lowrie and a home run to the No. 8 hitter Chris Snyder.

It unraveled in the fourth when he walked Justin Maxwell to start things and gave up a home run to cleanup hitter Carlos Lee to cut a 4-1 deficit to one. In the fifth, he gave up a two-out single to Jose Altuve and Maxwell hit what Washington called a "bomb" to left that gave the Astros a 5-4 lead.

Washington said his young starter has to finish the deal when given a lead.

"It's obvious I was supposed to put that away," Holland said. "But I couldn't get my fastball down and a couple of pitches got away and they hit them."

Holland said he didn't really know what was going on with his lack of command after the second inning.

"To be honest, I couldn't really tell you exactly what it was," he said. "I just know my fastball command went erratic all of a sudden. I couldn't locate down, everything was up. Just fell behind a lot so it made it predictable what to sit on, too."

HOUSTON -- The Texas Rangers blew an early four-run lead and had a rally fall just a run short in a 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

Lefty Derek Holland, in his first starting appearance in eight days, had a four-run lead, but gave up a season-high three home runs and took the loss. The Rangers' biggest highlight was a David Murphy inside-the-park home run in the third that drove in three runs to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead.

Holland loses lead: Holland last started May 10 at Baltimore. He then pitched one inning in relief May 14 and had a bullpen session a few days later. Holland said he wasn't working on anything specifically and the extended rest shouldn't bother him. He pitched well early until the middle innings. With a 4-1 lead, Holland walked Justin Maxwell to start the fourth inning. Carlos Lee hammered a fastball to left for a home run to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the fifth, Holland gave up a two-out single to Jose Altuve and Maxwell hit a homer off a belt-high pitch to left, giving the Astros a 5-4 lead. Holland left after five innings. He gave up five earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out six.

Late rally shut down: The Rangers cut a two-run deficit to one when Josh Hamilton drove in Elvis Andrus on a sacrifice fly to right in the seventh inning. The Rangers tried to get a rally going in the eighth. Michael Young and Brandon Snyder reached on singles to start the inning. Reliever Brandon Lyon was brought in to minimize the damage. He got Nelson Cruz to fly out to right and Mike Napoli hit into what was almost a 4-6-3 double play. Instead, Napoli was ruled out at first but Snyder was safe at second when shortstop Jed Lowrie came off the bag too early on the relay throw from second baseman Altuve. Pinch hitter Craig Gentry ended the inning with a flyout to center.

The bullpen: Closer Joe Nathan appeared to be unavailable after pitching four consecutive days for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010. Setup man Mike Adams was also unavailable because he's still recovering from a respiratory infection. It left manager Ron Washington to use Alexi Ogando, Mark Lowe and Koji Uehara as the setup men. Robbie Ross was available for at least one hitter after pitching Friday night. Ogando appeared in the sixth inning, relieving Holland. He allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work. Lowe pitched a scoreless eighth. He's allowed just one run the last nine games.

Hamilton in homerless string: Hamilton hasn't hit a home run the last seven games, his longest drought of the season. No biggie. Hamilton still leads the majors with 18 home runs. Hamilton had a six-game stretch where he hit nine home runs. When his night was over, Hamilton was 0-3.

Murphy hits inside-the-park home run: Murphy's third-inning inside-the-park home run was the first of his career and the 23rd in franchise history. Murphy sent a shot to right-center field where right fielder Maxwell missed a diving catch. Murphy beat the throw home easily. It was Murphy's first inside-the-park homer of his career and first for the Rangers since Gentry did it Sept. 23, 2011.

Notes: The Rangers started the season 15-4 but since then have gone just 10-12, including a 8-10 mark in May. ... Because of pinch hitters, the Rangers moved Hamilton to right field in the ninth inning.

Next: The Rangers and Astros play the finale of the Silver Boot series at Minute Maid Park. Colby Lewis takes on Jordan Lyles at 1:05 p.m.

HOUSTON -- The Silver Boot series continues at Minute Maid Park after the Rangers took Game 1 on Friday night. Saturday, the Rangers send lefty Derek Holland to take on right-hander Lucas Harrell.

Holland (3-2, 3.78 ERA): He's making his eighth start of the season and first since May 10 at Baltimore. Holland had his start pushed back four days so the club could give him some extra rest and keep Yu Darvish and Colby Lewis on their regular schedules. Holland is 2-0, with a 1.33 ERA on the road, where opponents are hitting just .181 against him. Holland picked up the victory at Baltimore, where he allowed three runs, all unearned over six innings. Against the Astros, Holland is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two career starts. He picked up a win last season at Houston.

Harrell (2-3, 4.40 ERA): Prior to this season, Harrell had just five major league starts. Now, he's scheduled to make his ninth start Saturday night. He took the loss May 14 at Philadelphia. He gave up just two earned runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. This is Harrell's first career start versus the Rangers. Harrell's last win came May 4 against St. Louis when he pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs, three earned on seven hits. He struck out three.

Up next:
Sun. at Hou.: RHP Colby Lewis (3-3, 3.63) vs. RHP Jordan Lyles (0-0, 3.00), 1:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540/FSSW

HOUSTON --The Texas Rangers got a gutty and sloppy pitching effort from Neftali Feliz and some timely hitting to beat the Houston Astros, 4-1, in Game 1 of the Silver Boot series at Minute Maid Park on Friday night.

How it happened: It wasn't the best night for Feliz, but the Rangers bats helped him out early. Adrian Beltre drove in the first of his two runs with a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Ian Kinsler for the first run of the game in the third inning. Nelson Cruz added to the lead with an RBI single to center. In the fifth, the Rangers added one more run on an RBI double by Michael Young, who seems to have broken out of his slump with two hits and a walk. Beltre closed the deal with a solo shot to left field, that if not for that wall in left center, might have landed in Huntsville.

Long night for Feliz: Feliz was chastized by the manager, walked the No. 8 and No. 9 hitters and threw 84 pitches through four innings. When the Rangers starter's night was done, he had thrown 101 pitches in 4 2/3 innings and for a no-decision. Feliz battled trouble all night and couldn't control his fastball. he walked five, hit one batter and allowed just one run on three hits. He also struck out six. Feliz drew the ire of manager Ron Washington in the fourth inning when he walked pitcher Wandy Rodriguez with two outs. Washington jogged to the mound and after a one-sided conversation, headed back to the dugout. Feliz then struck out Jordan Schafer on three pitches. But Washington had seen enough to pull Feliz in the fifth after two more walks sandwiched around two outs. Rookie Robbie Ross retired Brian Bogusevic on a fielder's choice to end the inning. With Feliz out, Ross became the pitcher of record.

Young gets a hit: It's been a tough stretch for Young. He finished the Rangers' seven-game homestand with just four hits in 27 at-bats. He was hitless in his last 11 at-bats until a second-inning single to center ended the string. For the night, Young went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI. Before the game, Washington said Young will stay in the lineup and he felt his veteran utility man would break out of his slump. He was right and don't expect Young to sit tomorrow against a right-hander, Lucas Harrell, for Mitch Moreland.

Beltre on a tear: Third baseman Beltre has reached base in his last nine games. Friday night he went 2-for-3 with his eighth home run of the season, a blast to left center. Beltre is 12-for-46 during the last nine games with two doubles and two home runs. In the last 21 games, Beltre has six home runs, five doubles and 18 RBIs.

Joe Nathan gets the save: For the first time since 2009, closer Nathan pitched for a fourth consecutive game. Nathan, who picked up his ninth save, had uneventful ninth inning, including a strikeout to end the game. He has two saves in his last four outings and hasn't allowed a run since May 13. Sept. 13-16, Nathan went four consecutive games for the Minnesota Twins, registering three saves during that time.

Notes: Rangers fans were in full force at Minute Maid Park on Friday night. There was a "Let's Go Rangers" chant in the eighth inning. ... Rangers are now 136-131 all-time in interleague play. ... Rangers are 62-72 in NL parks. ... When Feliz pitches, the Rangers normally do well, they're 5-2 in his starts in 2012. ... Friday night was the Rangers' 14th series of the 2012 season which marked the 14th different opponent. When the Rangers begin a three-game set at Seattle on Monday, it will be the first time they've seen an opponent a second time. ... Yu Darvish will speak with reporters Saturday afternoon. ... With Mike Adams unavailable, Koji Uehara took his spot as the setup man in the eighth. He struck out one in a scoreless inning. ... Kinsler was knocked down by a pitch that sailed over his head in the ninth inning by reliever Rhiner Cruz. Kinsler flew out to deep left field and when he got back to the dugout, slammed his helmet into a cubbie hole. Cruz then hit the next batter, Elvis Andrus, who promptly stole second. ... Josh Hamilton, who had a 16-game hitting streak snapped Thursday afternoon, began a new one with a single in the third.

Next: Rangers-Astros play Game 2 of the Silver Boot series at Minute Maid Park. Derek Holland takes on Lucas Harrell at 6:15 p.m.

HOUSTON -- Texas Rangers closer Joe Nathan has pitched the last three games and is most likely available for Friday night's game at the Houston Astros.

Nathan has gone three innings over the last three games with five strikeouts, posting a 0.71 ERA. He is tied for fourth in the AL with eight saves.

"I haven't talked to him yet, but if there's a closing situation, you will see Nathan," Rangers manager Ron Washington said before the game.

Washington said reliever Mike Adams is not available to pitch. He's thrown 11 pitches the last two days, including six Thursday in taking the loss to the Oakland A's.

Washington said Koji Uehara will replace Adams out of the bullpen in the late innings. Uehara extended his scoreless streak to 9 1/3 innings with a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday night vs. Kansas City. He hasn't allowed a run since giving up a home run April 21 at Detroit. He leads AL pitchers with a 15-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Michael Young, baring a sudden change, will play all three games in this NL park.

Young is slumping.

He's hitless in his last 11 at bats and went .148 on the just completed seven-game homestand.

Washington said it's not a hard decision to keep Young in the lineup and play first base despite what Mitch Moreland is doing.

Moreland hit .429 over the last seven games, with eight RBIs and three home runs.

"I'm not taking Michael out of the lineup," Washington said. Later he said, "he's going to come out of this. He just doesn't look very comfortable and that happens, and sometimes you can't find that spot in that box to get comfortable. It's like most things, when you're talking about a tremendous guy that has a great eye-hand coordination. It could happen today."

Starter Derek Holland said he had one bullpen session this week and feels good about his start Saturday night against Lucas Harrell. Holland said he couldn't remember how many pitches he threw in the session but didn't work on anything specifically.

Nolan Ryan and Josh Hamilton were sought after people by the Houston media.

Ryan said he's happy to see the Astros playing much better than last year and follows them every game.

Hamilton said it was good to have a day off and even noted, "I slept in a little bit and I came in and I relaxed a little bit and didn't have to rush and get a routine in."

On his 16-game hitting streak ending after he came in as a pinch-hitter Thursday: "I didn't know what type of hitting streak I was on."

Hamilton said Nathan informed him the streak was over.

"Whatever, show up and play," Hamilton said.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers have altered the starting rotation slightly this week, pushing Derek Holland's next start to Saturday. The doubleheader in Baltimore forced the club to change things around anyway, but they decided to allow Holland some extra rest while they have the chance.

Holland is physically fine. The team just wants to be proactive about giving pitchers some additional downtime when possible. They also wanted to keep Yu Darvish on his schedule, which means he'll start Wednesday against Oakland at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Because of the rainout on Wednesday night, it's likely that Scott Feldman will get a spot start on Monday, as long as he isn't needed out of the bullpen as a long reliever during the rest of the Angels series.

"Each year you live and you learn," manager Ron Washington said. "These guys are eating up a lot of innings in a lot of stressful games and we've got to try to take care of them somehow."

Texas did the same thing earlier in the season with Neftali Feliz when they had a rainout and a subsequent doubleheader in Detroit.

"It's an opportunity to really do some one-on-one work, have some mental talks," Washington said. "I want him to continue to command his fastball."

Holland has two straight quality starts after a two-start struggle at the end of April. Holland said he'll probably throw an additional bullpen session and could pitch an inning or two in relief to keep him sharp for Saturday's start.

Darvish, who got the win Friday and pitched 5 1/3 innings despite a one-hour, 56-minute rain delay after he pitched a scoreless first inning, will stay on his regular schedule for the time being. Washington said that doesn't mean Darvish won't eventually get some extra days like Feliz and Holland.

"He's always been a pitcher that has a routine and as often as we can keep him in his routine, we want to keep him in his routine," Washington said. "For now, he hasn't shown any weariness."

BALTIMORE -- The Texas Rangers' journey through Toronto, Cleveland and Baltimore started with some banged up players, some rough starts and some series losses. But it ended with an historic game from Josh Hamilton and three wins in four games over the Orioles, who had the best record in the AL with the series began. A few notes on what we learned about the Rangers on this road trip:

* After starting the road trip 2-4, the Rangers regrouped in Baltimore to go 5-5.

"The way the road trip started, to be 5-5, we'll take that," catcher Mike Napoli said. "We wanted to do better, but we'll take it."

* They head back to Arlington with a little momentum and a little better health. Maybe that second part is more important. Adrian Beltre's hamstrings didn't take well to the turf in Toronto and he didn't start at third base until Thursday in Baltimore. He came off the bench in Toronto and was eased back into the lineup. He looked good at third base Thursday (playing in Game 1) and his bat is big in the lineup.

* Josh Hamilton didn't play in Toronto with a stiff back, but returned to the lineup in Cleveland and then had his memorable four-homer night Tuesday at Camden Yards, becoming the 16th player in big league history to do that. Hamilton added a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 on Thursday, giving him six two-run homers in the four-game series in Baltimore. He was 8-for-17 with six homers and a double. His only single came in Game 1 on Thursday.

"I'm excited and happy I had a good series, but the series is over with now," Hamilton said. "We've got to go home and think about Anaheim."

* Elvis Andrus continues to swing a hot bat. He has now reached base safely in 28 games, tying Curtis Granderson for the longest streak this season. Granderson's streak ended Wednesday. He was 19-for-42 (.452) with seven RBIs on the 10-game road trip. He had a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in Game 2 on Thursday.

"He came up big tonight, no doubt about it," Washington said. "The stuff that Josh (Hamilton) was doing, Elvis was on the basepaths. That big hit he got with two outs was huge to give us the lead."

* Is Thursday a sign that Mike Napoli might slowly be figuring things out? Napoli had a struggling road trip at the plate, coming into Thursday's game at 4-for-27, but he had two hits, including his first triple in two years (and the fifth of his career). The triple scored Nelson Cruz to tie the score. Napoli later scoed on Andrus' single to give the Rangers the lead.

"I was just trying to move the runner over and when I saw (Nick) Markakis dive for it and not get there, I kept running," Napoli said.

He said he worked with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh on Thursday and they found something on video that Napoli was doing and he fixed it. Now the key is trying to make it a habit and do it more consistently. Perhaps a series against his former team will help Napoli do that.

* Derek Holland had a good road trip, after struggling in two home starts. He gave up one earned run in 13 1/3 innings in Cleveland and Baltimore.

"I didn't change anything," Holland said. "The only thing I was doing is leaving my off-speed stuff too much over the plate. I fixed that and got my fastball command going. That helped."

His manager was pleased with Holland's poise in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. After the Rangers made three errors in the second inning that allowed three unearned runs to score and turn a 2-0 Rangers lead into a 3-2 deficit, Holland was able to bear down and not allow any more runs. He got through six innings and turned things over to the bullpen.

* Cruz wasn't hitting when this road trip started, but he went 11-for-43 (.255), which was an improvement over what he was doing at home.

* Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison also had bounce-back starts in Baltimore, perhaps giving them some confidence for the upcoming homestand.

* Mike Adams walked his first batter of the season Thursday, issuing two walks. He had gone 11 2/3 innings without one until Thursday, but he worked out of the trouble he was in to not allow a run in the eighth of the Rangers' win. Closer Joe Nathan also got some work, giving the bullpen a little action before this weekend.

BALTIMORE -- The Texas Rangers overcame a rough defensive second inning and put up three runs on the board in the seventh to effectively put the game away in a 7-3 win. Derek Holland got his second straight quality start, allowing no earned runs in six innings, and the bullpen closed things down.

What it means: Texas splits the doubleheader and wins the series, ending a three-series losing streak. The Rangers return home for the Angels series at 21-11 after a 5-5 road trip through Toronto, Cleveland and Baltimore.

Holland solid again: This was a good road trip for Derek Holland, who bounced back from his two rough starts at home vs. the Yankees and Rays, and posted two quality starts. That includes six innings Thursday. He allowed three runs, but none of them were earned. Holland gave up two runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings in Cleveland. So he's allowed just one earned run in his last 13 1/3 innings. That's a big improvement. He's dropped his ERA from 5.13 when this trip started to 3.86.

Trio of errors: The Rangers committed three errors in the second inning, helping turn a 2-0 lead into a one-run deficit. It ties the club record (set 15 times) for errors in an inning. The last time was Sept. 15, 2005, vs. Seattle (Kameron Loe had 2 and Hank Blalock the other). Ian Kinsler missed a ball hit right at him that might have started a double play. Elvis Andrus made an errant throw to first that allowed a run to score and Josh Hamilton's throw from the outfield on a fly ball was over the cutoff man and wide of home plate, which gave Mark Reynolds the chance to score easily as he was waiting halfway down the line. All three runs scored in the inning off Holland were unearned.

Hamilton homers: After going 1-for-4 with just a single in Game 1, Hamilton hit yet another two-run homer (yes, with Andrus on in front of him). It was his sixth homer of the series and 15th of the season. All six of his homers in Baltimore have been two-run shots with Andrus on base. Hamilton's homer Thursday night landed on Eutaw Street. It's the 60th time that's happened in the ballpark's 20-year history and the 35th by an opponent. ... It's worth pointing out that Hamilton used to regularly hit home runs when Tommy Hunter started for the Rangers. Now, he's doing it when Hunter starts for Baltimore.

A rare triple: Mike Napoli, who was 4-for-27 (.148) on this road trip and trying to find a comfort level at the plate, hit a triple to right field. He got enough on it to keep it fair and Nick Markakis tried to make a diving catch and it got past him. Napoli never hestitated going to third. The hit drove in Nelson Cruz to tie the score. Cruz was on second after a double. ... Napoli also had a single in the sixth, giving him his third multi-hit game in his last four starts. We'll see if maybe Thursday allows him to start feeling more comfortable at the plate.

Reaching safely: Andrus has reached base safely in 28 straight games, tying the major league high this season (Curtis Granderson). ... He also has a 10-game hitting streak and delivered a two-out, go-ahead single in the fifth that put the Rangers up, 4-3.

Insurance runs: Texas added three runs in the seventh to push the lead out a bit. Andrus continues to hit the ball well. he had an RBI single to score Mitch Moreland. The Orioles decided to intentionally walk Hamilton to load the bases for Beltre, who hit a grounder to third that was scored an error. Beltre was given an RBI as Kinsler scored. Michael Young's ground ball scored Andrus.

Bullpen gets work: For the first time all series, the Rangers were able to utilize their bullpen in standard flying formation -- Alexi Ogando in the seventh, Mike Adams in the eighth and Joe Nathan in the ninth. The relievers didn't allow a run.

Aggressive baserunning: The Rangers do it better than most teams. But on a deep fly ball in the ninth, Andrus went from first to second. That put him in scoring position with two outs for Young. Andrus didn't score, but those are the kinds of plays that can matter.

Up next: Assuming Mother Nature allows it, the Rangers and Angels will finally get this rivalry going for 2012 with the intriguing matchup of RHP Yu Darvish against LHP C.J. Wilson.

BALTIMORE -- It was a remarkable afternoon for Colby Lewis, who gave up homers to the first three batters he faced (on his first eight pitches), then retired the next 18 in a row and then gave up a solo homer to Adam Jones to start the seventh and a two-run shot to Wilson Betemit that same inning. The five homers allowed were the most of his career as were the 12 strikeouts (his previous high was 11 set last year). Rookie pitcher Wei-Yin Chen held the Rangers to two runs in 7 2/3 innings, helping the Orioles to their first win of the series in the 6-5 victory.

What it means: The Orioles can split the series if they can win the second game of the doubleheader.

Record book: Lewis is the first pitcher in big league history to allow five homers and strike out at least 10 batters in the same game. Since 1918, it's just the second time that a pitcher has thrown at least seven innings and all five of his hits allowed were homers (fifth overall in the bigs since that date to have all five hits allowed be homers). The only other Texas Rangers pitcher to allow five home runs hits as the only hits was Charlie Hough on June 24, 1989.

Trio of homers: Lewis allowed three straight homers to start the game as Ryan Flaherty (right field), J.J. Hardy (left field) and Nick Markakis (off the foul pole in right) made it 3-0 Baltimore. The Orioles are the first team to start a game with three homers since Milwaukee in 2007 (Weeks, Hardy, Braun). ... Baltimore is the first AL team to ever do it and fourth overall.

What a turnaround: Lewis bounced back in a big way. The right-hander had his slider working and set a career-high with 12 strikeouts, kept his pitch count under control and retired the next 18 batters he faced.

What a turnaround (the other way): Lewis couldn't hold his form in the seventh, giving up a solo homer to Jones and then, after a walk to Matt Wieters, he surrendered a two-run shot to Betemit. The five homers were a career high, one behind the club record of six set by R.A. Dickey in 2006. ... Lewis has given up 11 homers on the season, the second-most in the AL. ... He led the AL in homers allowed in 2011, giving up 35 (second-most in the big leagues). ... Of the 11 homers allowed by Lewis, eight have come against left-handed batters.

Hamilton encore: In his first game since making history with four homers in Tuesday's game, Josh Hamilton struck out in his first at-bat and ended up 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a single.

Pinch-hit homer: David Murphy pinch-hit for Craig Gentry in the ninth with two men on base and one out. He hit a home run to right field off Orioles closer Jim Johnson to make it a 6-5 game.

Wasted opportunities: The Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the third but couldn't score. Elvis Andrus hit a ball back to the mound and starter Wei-Yin Chen came home to get the force out. The attempted double play throw hit Andrus in the back. So they stayed loaded for Hamilton, who hit a fly ball to left to end the inning. The deficit remained 3-0 at that point. ... In the eighth, the Rangers scored one and had two on with two outs for Michael Young, trying to put pressure on the Orioles. But Young struck out on a 3-2 pitch and Baltimore held its 6-2 lead.

Six straight Ks: Lewis had six straight strikeouts at one point early in his start, falling one short of the club record of seven set by Nolan Ryan (July 7, 1991) and Neftali Feliz (Aug. 7-13, 2009). He ended up striking out seven of eight batters in the first, second and third innings.

Good day for Torrealba at plate: The catcher came into Thursday batting just .196 with two RBIs. But he had a double in the third, an RBI single in the fourth and a double in the ninth. It was his first three-hit game since Game 3 of the ALCS in Detroit. It was his first regular season three-hit game since Aug. 8, 2011 vs. Seattle.

Communication breakdown: Elvis Andrus tried to catch a popup at the last second, bowling over Brandon Snyder who was camped under it near the mound in the seventh. Andrus was charged with the two-base error, but it didn't cost the Rangers a run.

Up next: The second game of this doubleheader features LHP Derek Holland (2-2, 4.43 ERA) against former Ranger RHP Tommy Hunter (2-1, 5.00 ERA).

BALTIMORE -- The final game of this four-game series (and the 10-game road trip) features LHP Derek Holland against RHP Tommy Hunter at 6:05 p.m. CT on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and FSSW. Here's a brief look at the matchup:

Holland (2-2, 4.43 ERA): The left-hander was able to put two rough starts behind him and pitch well in Cleveland, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings of a Rangers win Saturday. ... Holland got a no-decision, but the club won on Adrian Beltre's pinch-hit three-run homer in the 11th. ... Holland had three quality starts to begin the season before giving up 12 runs on 18 hits in 13 innings in losses to the Yankees and Rays. ... In three games (two starts) against Baltimore, Holland is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA (seven runs on 12 hits with seven walks and 14 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings). ... His lone start vs. the O's in 2011 came at Camden Yards, and he pitched six scoreless innings on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Hunter (2-1, 5.00 ERA): The 25-year-old former Ranger will be pitching on short rest after he was sent to the minors on Monday and then returns after Jason Hammel's knee soreness prevented him from starting today. ... Hunter gave up five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in the 17-inning marathon in Boston on Sunday. So he's pitching on short rest. ... His start prior to the one in Boston was a good one as he gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings.

Hitters: The current Orioles are hitting just .162 against Holland. ... Only two batters have multiple hits off him -- Ronny Paulino (2-for-3) and Brian Roberts (2-for-7). ... Adam Jones is 0-for-4. ... Only two Rangers have faced Hunter -- Adrian Beltre (4-for-8, HR, 2 RBIs) and Mike Napoli (2-for-5, 2B, RBI).

Up next:
Fri. vs. LAA: RHP Yu Darvish (4-1, 2.54) vs. LHP C.J. Wilson (4-2, 2.61), 7:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540 AM/TXA21
Sat. vs. LAA: LHP Matt Harrison (4-2, 5.11) vs. RHP Jerome Williams (3-1, 3.38), 12:10 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540 AM/FOX
Sun. vs. LAA: RHP Neftali Feliz (2-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (5-0, 1.60), 7:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540 AM/ESPN

BALTIMORE -- Perhaps rain is the only thing that can stop Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton these days.

Mother Nature intervened Wednesday as wet weather postponed the Rangers-Baltimore Orioles game and prevented Hamilton from getting a chance at an encore one night after becoming the 16th player in big league history to hit four homers in a game.

The game is rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Thursday starting at 3:05 p.m. CST.

Game 2 will start at 6:05 p.m. as long as the first game is completed on time.

The Rangers will send Colby Lewis and Derek Holland to the mound. Lewis will pitch the first game. The Orioles will stick with Wei-Yin Chen in Game 1 and don't have a pitcher for Game 2 as they've decided to push back Jason Hammel, who has a sore knee. It's likely that Tommy Hunter will be called up from the minors and start on short rest.

"I don't like playing doubleheaders because it does something to your pitching, but what can you do?" Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We'll have to get through it like we did last time."

The postponement likely means Scott Feldman will be pressed into spot start duty at some point next week.

As soon as it was announced in the clubhouse that the game wasn't going to be play, a handful of Rangers players, including Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Brandon Snyder, Yorvit Torrealba, Craig Gentry and Elvis Andrus went sliding on the tarp to the cheers of the fans still in attendance at Camden Yards.

"We're kids, man," Hamilton said. "We've got to keep it fun."

Andrus claimed he had the longest slide, though Hamilton appeared to give him a run for his money.

The Texas Rangers ended their three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win at Cleveland in 11 innings. Adrian Beltre hit a pinch-hit 3-run home run off righty Joe Smith for the difference. Rangers pinch-hitters were 0-for-12 this season prior to that blast to center field.

Rangers starting pitcher Derek Holland is from Newark, Ohio. Last year in his first start ever in his home state, Holland tossed a five-hit complete game shutout. He needed that good karma after his previous two starts which resulted in his two losses this season. Holland pitched well enough for a win, throwing 7.1 innings and allowing just five hits, but Mike Adams took the blown save after he allowed two inherited runners to score and tie the game at two. Holland did not factor into the decision. Alexi Ogando got his first win of the season, and Joe Nathan pitched the 11th for his seventh save.

Life on the road: With the win tonight, the Rangers remained tied with Baltimore for most road wins at 10. The Orioles won their 10th on Saturday, 8-2 at Boston. The Rangers visit the Orioles on Monday-Thursday. The O’s also boast an 18-9 overall record.

Top of the lineup: Ian Kinsler drove in the Rangers' first run in the second inning. That ended an 0-for-8 stretch for him at the plate. It also meant that he has reached safely in 16 of the last 18 games.

Playing the hits: Elvis Andrus singled in the first inning, giving him a hit in all 25 games he has played against the Indians. He is two games shy of tying Ivan Rodriguez for the longest Rangers hitting streak against one opponent at 27. Pudge hit in 27 straight versus Tampa Bay from June 2, 1998-June 23, 2000. Elvis also has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games this season.

A ... B ... C-ya: Beltre has not been in the starting lineup for the last four games including tonight. In total, he has not been in the starting lineup in seven games. In those games, the Rangers have a 2-5 record.

Cruzin’ for hits: Nelson Cruz began Saturday night’s game 2-for-17 on the road trip. He grounded out to shortstop in the first inning with the bases loaded. He later produced a lead-off single in the fourth. For the game, Cruz was 1-for-5.

At first: Michael Young started Saturday night’s game at first base. It’s his first start of the season at first base. This season, Young has made four starts at second base, five at third base and 16 as the designated hitter.

More and more: Mitch Moreland has his bat back on track. His RBI double in the fourth inning put the Rangers up 2-0, and it also meant that he has hit safely in seven straight starts and eight of nine games overall. Prior to this nine-game stretch, Moreland was hitting .139. Moreland was 3-for-4 on Saturday night, boosting his season batting average to .277. The Beltre was preceded by an intentional walk to Moreland.

Down Lowe: The Rangers pushed the pitch count to 104 on Indians starting pitcher Derek Lowe, who exited the game after six innings. Lowe forced the Rangers to keep the ball on the ground with 14 groundouts and just one in the air. He also induced two double plays. Lowe did not factor into the decision.

Indigestion: Rangers right-handed reliever Mike Adams entered the game in relief of Holland in the eighth inning. The runners on first and third were the first baserunners he inherited this season. The lead runner scored on a double by Asdrubel Cabrera. The second one came home on a passed ball.

Extra innings: The Rangers played one other extra-inning game this season. They needed 11 innings to beat Detroit 3-2 on April 22 in the Motor City.

The second game of this three-game series between the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers features LHP Derek Holland and RHP Derek Lowe. The game starts at 6:05 p.m. on FSSW and KSKY 660 AM. A quick glance at the mound matchup:

Holland (2-2, 5.13 ERA): The lefty will look to rebound from two starts in which he hasn't been at his best. Holland has allowed 12 runs in his last two starts (13 innings) with six walks and nine strikeouts. ... Those two outings came against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. ... Holland had three straight quality starts to begin the season and two wins (vs. Boston and Seattle). ... In three starts in 2011 against the Indians, Holland was 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 17 2/3 innings pitched. Cleveland batted just .232 off him. ... He pitched a complete-game shutout at Progressive Field last year, surrendering five hits and one walk and striking out five.

Lowe (4-1, 2.27 ERA): The Indians acquired Lowe in the offseason from the Braves after he went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA in 2011. ... He's pitching better this season, with four wins in April and a solid ERA. ... The 38-year-old has four quality starts and is coming off perhaps his best start of the season. ... Lowe pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Angels, allowing just three hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Hitters: Only two Cleveland hitters have more than one hit off Holland -- Asdrubal Cabrera, who is 2-for-9, and Carlos Santana, who is 4-for-8 with a HR and five RBIs. ... Johnny Damon is 0-for-7. ... Tonight might be a good time to get Alberto Gonzalez in the lineup. He's 8-for-16 with four RBIs off Lowe, someone Gonzalez saw plenty while both were in the National League. ... Mike Napoli is 3-for-8, but Michael Young and Adrian Beltre are both 1-for-11.

Up next:

Sun at CLE: RHP Yu Darvish (4-0,2.18 ERA) vs. RHP Ublado Jimenez (2-2, 5.02 ERA), 12:05 p.m., ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, FSSW

It's Friday and that means the weekly stock report. Let's see who's trending up and who's trending down:

STOCK UP

Yu Darvish: After impressing everyone with his start at home against the New York Yankees, Rangers starter Yu Darvish took his act to Canada and baffled the Blue Jays. Darvish has 19 strikeouts and four walks and has allowed one run in his last two starts (15 1/3 innings). He's 4-0 so far and pitches again Sunday in Cleveland (and then Friday vs. C.J. Wilson in Arlington, if the rotations stay the same).

Elvis Andrus: The shortstop is 7-for-14 in his last three games with four RBIs. His errorless streak did end, but he's playing well in the field and feels comfortable at the plate. He's showing more gap power and an ability to battle at the plate when he gets behind in the count.

STOCK DOWN

Matt Harrison: In his last two starts, Harrison has allowed 14 earned runs on 22 hits in 8 1/3 innings in losses to Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Derek Holland: The lefty has given up 12 earned runs on 18 hits with six walks and nine strikeouts in his last two starts (13 innings). He'll look to rebound this weekend in Cleveland.