Arlington, TX -- (Sports Network) - Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter hit monstrous homers as part of a six-run second inning, as the Angels held on for a 9-6 win over the Texas Rangers in the opener of a four-game series.

Hunter had three hits, including a pair of homers, and drove in three runs. Guerrero and Jeff Mathis each hit two-run homers during the big uprising in the second frame, as Los Angeles surged to an 8-0 lead before holding on despite a shaky outing by Ervin Santana.

Maicer Izturis had two hits, an RBI and scored twice for the AL West-leading Angels, who won for the fifth time in six games.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched out of trouble in the ninth inning for his 35th save, making history in the process. That eclipsed the most saves prior to the All-Star break. Atlanta's John Smoltz had 34 in the same time span in 2003.

Santana (10-3), named to his first All-Star contest on Sunday, allowed a season-high 10 hits and surrendered six runs, while striking out six over seven innings.

David Murphy smacked a three-run homer and Chris Davis added a two-run shot for the Rangers, who had won two in a row over the weekend at Baltimore. Ian Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 19 games, going 4-for-5, scoring once.

Luis Mendoza (1-3) was battered to the tune of nine hits and eight runs over 1 1/3 innings to suffer the loss. Dustin Nippert yielded just four hits and a run while fanning four in seven effective relief frames.

Chone Figgins scored on a Casey Kotchman groundout in the first, and Hunter singled in Izturis later in the inning.

The second featured power by the Angels. Howie Kendrick singled and Mathis followed with a blast over the wall in left field, better than 400 feet. Kotchman doubled with one out and scored on an Izturis single up the middle.

Guerrero then took an 0-1 offering from Mendoza over the wall in center, 436 feet away. Hunter, who lives in Prosper, about an hour from the stadium, clobbered the next pitch to the upper deck in left, an estimated 442 feet, for the 8-0 cushion.

Josh Hamilton doubled in Kinsler in the third, and the Rangers scored five times in the fifth. Murphy's 12th homer of the year made it a four-run difference. Marlon Byrd then singled, and Davis crushed a pitch from Santana over the wall in right for an 8-6 difference.

Santana gave up singles to Ramon Vazquez and Kinsler to start the sixth, but he fanned Michael Young and then got Hamilton to ground into a double play.

Hunter started the seventh with his 12th homer of the year, a blast over the wall in center.

There was also an odd set of circumstances in the eighth. Kotchman reached first, colliding with Davis before the base after the ball was bobbled. That put runners on the corners with one out. Izturis then grounded a ball to Davis. Mathis plowed over catcher Max Ramirez, who held onto the ball for the out, and then fired to third to nail Kotchman to end the frame.

Kinsler doubled to start the ninth, and Milton Bradley walked with two outs, but Murphy lined out to Kotchman at first to end the game.

Game Notes:

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was ejected by home plate umpire Andy Fletcher in the top of the fifth inning for arguing a hit by pitch call...Guerrero has hit safely in 22 of his last 25 games. He has batted safely in 69 of his 77 career games versus the Rangers, hitting .408 with 22 homers and 61 RBI...The Angels have scored 41 runs over their last six games after being held to two runs over the previous four.