Hamilton's HR Gives Texas 7-6 Win Over Oakland

ARLINGTON (AP) – Josh Hamilton hit a game-ending, two-run homer to give Texas a 7-6 victory over Oakland on Saturday night and extend the Rangers' winning streak to six games.

Hamilton connected on a 2-0 pitch with two outs in the ninth off A's closer Andrew Bailey (0-2), a 435-foot shot into the second deck of seats in right field. It was Hamilton's fourth hit of the game, and his 11th homer of the season.

The winning homer comes during an emotional stretch for Hamilton, who two nights earlier tossed a ball into the stands toward a Brownwood firefighter who tumbled over the rail and fell about 20 feet to concrete below. The man died less than an hour after the fall.

Flags remained at half-staff and players on both teams again wore black ribbons two nights after Shannon Stone's fatal fall during the opener of the four-game series, when he was at the game with his 6-year-old son. Stone's funeral is Monday.

Elvis Andrus reached on an infield single right before the homer by Hamilton, who knew as soon as he hit the ball that it was gone.

Hamilton took a couple of steps, put his head down and started the trot that ended with him being mobbed at home plate by his teammates.

Andrus had hit what appeared to be a game-ending grounder, but second baseman Jemile Weeks' throw was a bit late and wide to first baseman Conor Jackson. When Jackson reached out to try to catch the ball, the speedy Andrus collided with him and both players went to the ground.

The only other six-game winning streak for the AL West-leading Rangers came when they opened this season 6-0.

A day after Stone's fall, Hamilton chose to play Friday night instead of taking the day off Rangers manager Ron Washington offered the reigning AL MVP.

He went 1 for 5, and in the sixth inning fouled off a ball that hit a fan in the head. The fan, who wasn't paying attention, needed stitches to close the cut but was OK.

Before his second career game-ending homer Saturday -- coming exactly three years to the date after his other one in 2008 against the Los Angeles Angels -- Hamilton had a pair of doubles, a single and drove in a run with a groundout.

Adrian Beltre, who will start for the AL along with Hamilton at next week's All-Star game, also homered for Texas.

Beltre will replace Alex Rodriguez in the starting lineup after the New York Yankees' third baseman withdrew from the game because of a right knee injury.

Coco Crisp and Josh Willingham homered for Oakland (39-52), which lost for the 12th time in 17 games and fell a season-worst 13-games under .500.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)