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Lewis hurls eight innings of two-run ball

The Rangers wrapped up a 10-game road trip Sunday with a 5-0 win over the Giants, and they'll welcome a chance to get back home.

Texas will play 16 of its next 19 games at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, starting Tuesday with a three-game series against the D-backs. The Rangers have played 35 of their first 51 games away from home. Right-hander Colby Lewis will kick off the homestand against Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy.

"That's going to be nice," Rangers infielder Michael Young said. "The schedule has been a bit of a grind the first part of the season -- a lot of long trips and over the last month or month and a half, we haven't had many off-days. The schedule to the All-Star break looks pretty solid. Hopefully that's something we can take advantage of and get on a roll."

After setting a club record in 2011 with a 52-29 mark at home, the Rangers are just 15-11 at the Ballpark this year, and they're hoping this long stretch of games in Texas will help in that regard.

"We better start playing good baseball at home," manager Ron Washington said. "We usually dominate at home. Maybe we can dominate during this [homestand]."

The D-backs, meanwhile, will enter the series with a .500 record for the first time since May 5 thanks to a season-high five-game winning streak. Fresh off a sweep of Oakland, Arizona is 7-1 over its last eight games and 8-2 over its last 10.

"I think it's a great opportunity for us," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "That's the way I look at it. I'm excited for it. We've played better of late, and we're going down there to play in their ballpark, which they're very good in."

While Arizona is just 15-16 at Chase Field on the year and sits at third in the National League West a year after taking the division crown, the club has put together a 15-14 road record.

"We've been playing pretty well on the road this year," starter Joe Saunders said. "If we can continue that and kick it up at home, we'll be in good shape."

D-backs: Gibson considering DH options
• With six straight Interleague games on the schedule at American League parks, Gibson has been mulling over his options at designated hitter. Willy Mo Pena was Arizona's primary DH last season. Gibson has plenty of options this year, and his decisions will likely be determined by his players' health and the daily pitching matchups.

"It could be anybody on the bench," Gibson said. "I was thinking about that on the way in. I haven't figured it out yet."

• Paul Goldschmidt extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games on Sunday.

Rangers: Ogando heading to the DL?
• Right-hander Alexi Ogando left Sunday's game against the Giants with a strained right groin and will have an MRI on Monday. After pitching out of the bullpen all season, Ogando was only starting Sunday because the Rangers put Derek Holland (stomach virus) on the disabled list. Ogando's next start is scheduled for Saturday against the Astros.

"Right now it feels pretty bad," Ogando said Sunday. "Tomorrow I will get an MRI, but right now it doesn't feel good."

• The Rangers have decided that right-hander Roy Oswalt will pitch Tuesday at Double-A Frisco instead of Triple-A Round Rock at Albuquerque.

Worth noting
• Mitch Moreland's home run on Saturday was the Rangers' fourth pinch-hit homer this year. All other AL teams have combined for five pinch-hit home runs. Texas had only two pinch-hit homers from 2008-11.

• D-backs outfielder Jason Kubel is hitting .571 with two doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBIs in his last four games. He has put together four straight multi-RBI games for the first time in his career.

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