ARLINGTON, Texas -- The American League West Division-leading Texas Rangers needed a win on Tuesday and with some doing, left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels, with lots of support from teammates, got it done.

A very imperfect Hamels (12-8) earned his sixth victory since being acquired by Texas at the trade deadline, and third baseman Adrian Beltre had what turned out to be the game-winning double in the fourth in the Rangers' 7-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Beltre, who finished 3-for-5, also hit a run-scoring single in the second and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was 2-for-5, including a two-run homer -- his 21st of the season -- in the first for the Rangers, whose magic number to clinch the division title is four.

Texas, which snapped a three-game losing streak, led the Houston Astros by two games and the Los Angeles Angels by 2 1/2 games pending their late results Tuesday night.

Hamels gave up six runs, all with two outs in the first three innings, during his six-inning outing. He allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out eight for Texas, which has won each of the lefty's past nine starts. Hamels retired nine straight and 10 of his last 11 hitters.

"Not the start you want to have, especially in this type of situation," Hamels said. "It's a team game and these guys came up huge.

"Every one of those guys came through. It made the type of performance that I had a little easier to move past. It's not what you want to be able to do at this time."

Texas right-handed relievers Sam Dyson and Keone Kela pitched perfect innings in the seventh and eighth, and closer Shawn Tolleson earned his 34th save by battling out of a jam in the ninth.

With runners at first and third and one out, Detroit left fielder Rajai Davis popped up a bunt attempt to Texas first baseman Mitch Moreland. Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler then drove a ball to deep right-center field, but Texas' Drew Stubbs ran it down for the final out.

"I think he was trying to do too much ... saw an opportunity to get a run in and put a guy at second, but unfortunately it didn't work," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of Davis' decision to try to lay down the bunt.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus and second baseman Rougned Odor each had an RBI for Texas (85-72).

"When he hit it I didn't know if I was going to be able to get there, luckily it hung up so I could track it down," said Stubbs, a defensive replacement in the eighth. "You hope that games don't have to get that crazy at the end, but a win's a win and we'll take it."

Tigers right-handed reliever Buck Farmer (0-4) gave up a run on two hits in two innings. He yielded Choo's double and Beltre's game-deciding double in the fourth. Farmer relieved left-hander Daniel Norris after the Detroit starter gave up six runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

The Tigers (73-84) were victimized by four errors, including two in the first that led to four unearned runs.

"It certainly wasn't our best defensive performance," Ausmus said. "But I thought the guys fought to the end. We might not be in the playoff chase, but there's been no quit."

Detroit right fielder J.D. Martinez had two hits, including a two-run homer in the first.

Davis and shortstop Dixon Machado each had run-scoring hits, and catcher Bryan Holaday hit a solo home run off Hamels in the second.

"I was able to get strikes early, but I wasn't able to put them away," Hamels said. "I think that was a case of trying to do too much to put them away instead of going back to the approach I had with the 0-0 counts. I was trying to be a little too aggressive, too fine with pitches."

NOTES: Rangers LF Josh Hamilton was out of the lineup because he still can't play back-to-back games due to a sore knee. Mike Napoli, who likely would have been somewhere in the lineup against LHP Daniel Norris, started in left. ... Rangers manager Jeff Banister said LHP Derek Holland completed his routine bullpen workout Tuesday with no issues and is on track to start Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels. Holland took a comebacker off his left middle finger Saturday. ... Detroit 3B Nick Castellanos left the game after the first inning with a bruised right index finger sustained while fielding a groundball during batting practice. ... DH Victor Martinez was held out of the lineup because of left knee soreness. Miguel Cabrera served as the designated hitter.