Josh Hamilton returned to the Texas lineup after missing four starts due to illness and hit a two-run triple to lead the Rangers to a 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Hamilton, who leads the major leagues with 66 RBIs, went 2 for 5 and scored two runs as the Rangers extended their winning streak to five games.
Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre drove in two runs each and Scott Feldman (1-6) broke a six-start losing streak as Texas won for the eighth time in nine games.
Feldman, who had his first career RBI, pitched six innings and allowed two runs and seven hits. The right-hander did not walk a batter and struck out five, including Carlos Quentin three times.
Feldman avoided becoming the Rangers' first pitcher to lose his first seven decisions in 30 years.
Hamilton had not started a game since Thursday due to an intestinal virus that caused him to lose 10 pounds as he was briefly hospitalized Friday.
But he made his presence felt in the third inning when he tripled in two runs off Edinson Volquez (3-7) and scored on a sacrifice fly as Texas took a 3-1 lead.
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Hamilton faced Volquez for the first time since the two players were the principals in a 2007 trade that sent Hamilton from Cincinnati to Texas.
Volquez failed to get an out in the sixth inning as he allowed six runs and five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
Ian Kinsler singled with one out in the third and Elvis Andrus walked before Hamilton hit a ball into the right-center field gap to put the Rangers ahead 2-0. It was Hamilton's first triple of the season.
Hamilton then scored on Beltre's sacrifice fly to medium right field, easily beating the throw from Will Venable.
After Hamilton singled and Beltre doubled to start the sixth, Cruz followed with a two-run double to knock out Volquez.
Beltre hit his 12th homer in the seventh off Brad Brach when he hit the foul pole in the short right-field porch. The umpires briefly reviewed the replay before ruling the ball a home run.
Feldman, who drove in his first career RBI with a single in the sixth, allowed only Nick Hundley's run-scoring single in second and an RBI groundout by Yonder Alonso in the sixth.
Notes: Hamilton played in the Rangers' 2-1 win on Monday night as a defensive replacement but did not bat. . Texas 1B Mitch Moreland came out of the game in the second with a left hamstring strain after he grounded into a bases-loaded, inning-ending double play. . Texas (42-27) is a season-high 15 games over .500. . Volquez was 3-11 with a 7.20 ERA in 20 games with Texas between 2005-07. . 1B Brad Hawpe requested and was granted his release from Texas' Double-A affiliate, Frisco. According to a Rangers spokesman, Hawpe said he was taking a roster spot from someone potentially going to the majors. . Texas RHP Yu Darvish (8-4, 3.57) will face Padres RHP Anthony Bass (2-7, 4.88) in the in the finale of the three-game series on Wednesday.
