Hamels (8-1) beat the Tigers on Wednesday despite surrendering four runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings.
Hamels should buy his offense a Texas-sized steak dinner after this one, as the Rangers' bats erased two-run deficits in both the second and third innings before nudging ahead for good with a run in the fifth and pulling away with four in the sixth. Command was a major issue for Hamels, who walked a season-high five batters while also allowing multiple home runs in a game for just the second time in 15 starts. He excelled at damage control, though, using a timely pickoff to wriggle out of trouble after the Tigers had runners at first and third with one out in the third inning and later escaping unscathed after they loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Hamels' next start is scheduled for Monday against an Angels team that he's limited to one run over 14.2 innings in two meetings this season.