Tommy Hunter allows 1 run over 7-plus innings, Rangers beat White Sox 3-1

Hunter pitches Rangers to 3-1 win over White Sox

ARLINGTON, Texas — Tommy Hunter scattered nine singles over seven-plus innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Saturday night.

Hunter (5-0) allowed one run, struck out three and walked one for the AL West leaders.

Hunter, who has gone at least six innings in five of his six starts this season, left in the eighth after Juan Pierre drew a leadoff walk and Alexei Ramirez singled for his third hit of the night.

The runners moved up on Frank Francisco’s balk, and Pierre scored on Alex Rios’ groundout.

But Francisco struck out slugger Paul Konerko and retired Andruw Jones on a fly ball to preserve the two-run lead.

Chicago’s first nine hits were singles until pinch-hitter Brent Lillibridge’s leadoff double in the ninth against Darren Oliver. Neftali Feliz struck out pinch-hitter Carlos Quentin and Gordon Beckham for his 23rd save in 24 chances.

White Sox starter John Danks (7-7) gave up two runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Danks’ teammates have provided three runs or fewer in 10 of his 16 starts this season.

Chicago had won 17 of 21.

Josh Hamilton extended his home hitting streak to 23 games with a second-inning infield single. Hamilton is tied with Michael Young (2009) and Ivan Rodriguez (1995) for the second-longest home streak since the team relocated from Washington in 1972.

Al Oliver’s 30-game run in 1981 is the club’s longest at home.

Later in the second, Joaquin Arias’ groundout drove in Hamilton from third with the game’s first run. Elvis Andrus made it 2-0 in the fifth when his single scored Arias from second.

The Rangers stretched their lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Nelson Cruz scored from third while pinch-hitter Justin Smoak was grounding into a double play.

NOTES: Hamilton was officially credited with the longest home run in the 17-year history of Rangers Ballpark after research by a college physics professor concluded that his drive June 27 against Houston traveled 490 feet. The original estimate by the Rangers was 468 feet, but Andrew Brandt of Texas-Arlington — in consultation with other experts — calculated the longer distance. Jose Canseco held the previous record at Rangers Ballpark, a 480-foot shot for Texas in 1994. … Hamilton hit into his first double play of the season in the sixth. He’d gone 308 at-bats without one. … Smoak was replaced at 1B in the starting lineup by Arias. Smoak, who had started 61 of the previous 64 games at 1B, is in an 0-for-20 slide. … Rangers RHP Rich Harden threw another bullpen session in his rehab from a strained gluteal muscle. Harden will need at least one more bullpen session, then throw batting practice before a minor league rehab start. … Quentin wasn’t in the starting lineup as manager Ozzie Guillen gave his everyday RF a break after Quentin was hit by a pitch on Friday night. Jones got the start in RF and went 0 for 4.