ARLINGTON, Texas — Cole Hamels was smiling while rubbing his numb left leg. The Texas Rangers ace then adjusted to finish off seven scoreless innings.
Hamels kept pitching after a comebacker ricocheted off the side of his knee and into foul territory for Houston's first hit in the fourth, and Texas held on for a 6-4 victory Friday night over the team with the AL's best record.
"For him to continue to grind through it in the last couple of innings, it was huge for us," manager Jeff Banister said.
Six days after the lefty's complete game in Minnesota, Hamels (7-1) limited the Astros to three singles.