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Saturday, March 15, 2008
Hamilton increases hit streak in Rangers' 10-8 win over Royals
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Josh Hamilton just keeps on reaching base.
The Rangers outfielder went 2-for-2, raising his batting average to .607. He has reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances in his past four games, going 9-for-9 with a walk. Texas beat Kansas City 10-8 on Friday.
Meanwhile, Royals pitcher Brett Tomko gave up six runs, four earned, and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Two hits were lost in the sun, some were wind-aided and others were not well struck.
''The line was bad, but what he did was very good,'' Royals manager Trey Hillman said. ''I liked Tomko a lot.''
Tomko, a 34-year-old right-hander with 10 seasons in the majors, signed with the Royals in January to try to earn a spot in a rotation that has two openings.
''I've been around long enough to know its not what is sitting on the scoreboard. It's how you feel,'' Tomko said. ''That's a good thing about spring training, it's not permanent on your record. I just catalog that away and just look at how I felt and how I was throwing the ball. I felt like that was the best I've thrown all year.
''I told Mac (pitching coach Bob McClure), I'll make every Tucson trip if I don't have to pitch here anymore. I think I've given up five hits to the sun.''
Left-hander Kason Gabbard, penciled into a beleaguered Rangers rotation, had another poor start, surrendering seven earned runs and seven hits, including a Billy Butler home run, and four walks in three-plus innings. Gabbard, who has a 12.66 earned run average in four starts, faced six batters in the fourth without retiring one.
Yasuhiko Yabuta, who has spent 12 years pitching with the Chiba Lotte Mariners in the Japan League, took the loss, yielding four runs and five hits in one inning. He has a 10.29 ERA in eight outings.
''He wasn't too sharp,'' Hillman said. ''The biggest problem was behind in the count. He's got to pitch ahead. He didn't locate his fastball very well. It was really totally opposite of his last outing when he located the ball as well as he has all spring.''
Notes: Rangers OF Milton Bradley, who had knee surgery last September, played in a minor league game for Triple-A Oklahoma. Bradley, serving as the DH, led off every inning and went 3-for-5 with a double and a walk against Omaha. ... Royals catcher Miguel Olivo strained a groin and is day to day. ...The Royals dropped to 0-4 against the Rangers. They are 9-3 against everybody else.
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