Rangers 15, Angels 9: Mitch Moreland singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Josh Hamilton drove in four as host Texas bailed out Ryan Dempster and earned a split of the four-game series with Los Angeles.

Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz homered and Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Geovany Soto and Michael Young each drove in a pair in another wild game for the Rangers, who have pushed their lead in the American League West back to five games with wins the last two nights.

Dempster, who was acquired at the trade deadline on Tuesday, was lit up for eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander walked three and surrendered a pair of home runs while striking out six in his debut.

C.J. Wilson was no better for the Angels, getting knocked around for eight runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames. He walked three and fanned seven.

It came down to the bullpens, with recently recalled right-hander David Carpenter (1-2) allowing a leadoff single to Young in the seventh. Carpenter induced a fielder’s choice before Moreland came in as a pinch hitter and blooped a single into center field to plate Young, making it 9-8.

Andrus added an RBI single and Hamilton capped the four-run frame with a two-run ground-rule double into the right-center field gap. The Rangers piled on three more runs in the eighth to put it away.

Roy Oswalt (4-2), who was bumped from the rotation to make room for Dempster, picked up the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Texas jumped out to a 6-2 lead after the second inning only to have Los Angeles storm back with a run in the third and four more in the fourth. The Angels took an 8-7 lead on Kendrys Morales’ RBI double in the fifth but Andrus responded with an RBI double in the sixth to knot it at 8-8.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Angels CF Mike Trout, who was named Player of the Month in the AL for July, stole two bases and scored a pair of runs. Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter each drove in a pair or runs while Morales, Alberto Callaspo and Mark Tumbo all homered for Los Angeles. … The Angels sent RHP Garrett Richards to Triple-A Salt Lake City on Thursday to clear a spot for Carpenter. … The Rangers gave prospect Mike Olt his first major-league start on Thursday. The 23-year old went 1-for-3 and scored a run. … Texas starts a six-game road trip at Kansas City on Friday while Los Angeles continues its trip at Chicago.