Cole Hamels pitched into the eighth inning but received a no-decision in his first Texas start on Saturday.
The Rangers reeled in the biggest catch of last week’s non-waiver trade deadline when they acquired starter Cole Hamels as part of an eight-player swap with Philadelphia.
The Phillies also sent relief pitcher Jake Diekman and cash to Texas in the deal, while the Rangers’ return package included Matt Harrison and five minor-leaguers – Jorge Alfaro, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson and Nick Williams.
The trade, which was agreed to on Wednesday but not finalized until Friday, came only after Hamels used his limited no-trade clause to block a potential deal with the Astros.
“I have a lot of catching up to do,” Hamels said after joining his new team Friday, “but with this group of guys I think it’s going to be pretty easy because they’re true competitors, and it’s fun to watch them on the field and know that those are guys that are going to be behind me.”
A three-time National League All-Star, Hamels posted a career record of 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA across parts of 10 seasons for the Phillies, throwing a no-hitter on July 25 against the Cubs in his final start with Philadelphia.
Making his A.L. debut in a Texas uniform two nights ago, Hamels pitched into the eighth inning and was lifted with a 7-4 lead, but Tanner Scheppers allowed three consecutive run-scoring hits as San Francisco rallied to tie the game.
After a scoreless tenth inning, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt each connected for solo home runs in the top of the eleventh to lead the Giants to a 9-7 comeback victory.
Although the Rangers’ bullpen faltered and denied Hamels a chance at a win in his first game with Texas, manager Jeff Banister was still pleased with the results put forth by the club’s new No. 1 starter.
“Given everything involved,” Banister said, “coming off the no-hitter, the volume of pitches he threw in the no-hitter, everything swirling around the trade and the travel getting here … I really felt like he threw the ball well.”
Following Hamels in the Rangers’ revamped rotation, left-hander Martin Perez delivered the best performance of his injury-shortened season on the way to a 2-1 win in Sunday’s rubber game. He retired the first 14 batters he faced before Brandon Belt and Justin Maxwell reached, respectively, on an error and an infield single in the top of the fifth.
Perez was pulled after allowing a one-out double to Angel Pagan in the ninth, and the Texas bullpen had to work around trouble before Hunter Pence grounded into a game-ending double play.
Dyson, Wilson Added to Roster
While the trade for Hamels grabbed most of the headlines, Texas also made a pair of under-the-radar moves Friday aimed at strengthening the team’s relief pitching and catching corps.
Right-hander Sam Dyson was acquired from Miami in exchange for backstop Tomas Telis and minor-league lefty Cody Ege, and veteran catcher Bobby Wilson was picked up on a waiver claim from Tampa Bay.
Dyson, 27, was activated Saturday and made back-to-back appearances against the Giants, including a scoreless outing Sunday in which he earned his first career save. The 32-year-old Wilson, meanwhile, had two hits and caught all 11 innings in his Texas debut on Saturday.
Shoulder Strain Sends Chirinos to DL
Both of the Rangers’ Opening Day catchers are now on the disabled list after Robinson Chirinos was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday (retroactive to Friday) with a strained left shoulder.
Backup catcher Carlos Corporan has also been on the disabled list since mid-July with a sprain in his left thumb, leaving the ballclub’s pitch-calling duties to Chris Gimenez – who had his contract purchased Friday from Triple-A Round Rock – and Bobby Wilson.
In other roster moves, both Wandy Rodriguez and Ross Ohlendorf were designated for assignment by Texas over the past week, and Ohlendorf was placed on unconditional release waivers on Friday.
In the bullpen, late-inning reliever Keone Kela was optioned to Double-A Frisco Saturday in an effort to limit his workload. Kela had averaged a total of 44 innings pitched in each of the past two seasons in the minors, and he has already thrown 43 and two-thirds innings for the Rangers this year.
Nate's Notes 
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