ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton returned from the disabled list by hitting the go-ahead homer in a six-run seventh inning and the Texas Rangers won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the Seattle Mariners 7-1 Tuesday night.
Hamilton, activated after missing 13 games with a strained ribcage muscle, struggled in his first three at-bats before his two-run shot off Mariners reliever Mark Lowe (0-1) gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead.
Rookie Derek Holland (1-1) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings to earn his first career victory.
Chris Davis homered for the fourth time in eight games for Texas, and Michael Young had three hits and was on base five times after missing two games with back stiffness.
Scott Feldman took a shutout into the seventh and gave up one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings for the first-place Rangers, who have given two runs or less in six of nine games.
Mariners starter Jason Vargas, who is in the rotation for an injured Carlos Silva, allowed one run and five hits in five innings.
Seattle, which had only four hits, has lost seven of eight.
Hamilton, who hasn’t played since April 26, bounced into a double play in the first, flew out in the third and struck out looking in the fifth.
Young singled with one out in the six-run seventh, bringing Hamilton up to the plate. The Rangers slugger drove an 0-1 fastball from Lowe over the 14-foot wall in left.
The Rangers tacked on four more runs in the seventh.
Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly, Marlon Byrd scored on an error, Jarrod Saltalamacchia had an RBI double and Elvis Andrus added a run-scoring single to make it 7-1.
Texas sent up 12 batters in the seventh, and Lowe gave up six runs and five hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Vargas made his first start since July 3, 2007, after missing the 2008 season because of hip surgery.
Davis homered off Vargas on the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth. His shot hit the top of the wall in right and bounced into the Rangers bullpen.
In the top of the seventh, Franklin Gutierrez singled and stole second. Kenji Johjima doubled down the line in right to tie the score at 1 and chase Feldman from the game.
Holland recorded the last two outs of the seventh to preserve the tie.
Rangers closer Frank Francisco was unavailable to pitch because of biceps tendinitis. General manager Jon Daniels said that Francisco may miss the rest of the three-game series.
Notes: Seattle DH Mike Sweeney remains bothered by lower back
spasms and wasn’t in the lineup. Manager Don Wakamatsu said Sweeney is “about 95 percent.” … Davis struck out for the 50th time this season, the most in baseball.
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