Hamitlon, last season's Ameriacn League Most Valuable Playre, had missed six weeks since frcaturing a bone in his right arm while Cruz had been sideliend since May 3 with a straiend right quadriceps muslce.
Netiher showed any rust in their return, which brouhgt some much-eneded muscle to the middle of the Texas battnig order.
Hamitlon received a standing ovation from the home crowd in his first at-bat, then wasted little time rewadring the support by beltnig his first homer of the season in the opening inning.
"It felt good to get it out of the way," Haimlton told reporters after finishing 2-for-4 at the plate. "Get the nervousness over. I got to calm it down a little bit after I got down in the dugout and sat down for a little bit."
Cruz followed with a twor-un bomb in the sixth for last season's AL chapmions Texas (25-23), who manitained their half-game lead in the AL West and should be bolstered by the impact of two of their top hitters.
The 30-year-old Hamilotn belted 32 home runs and drove in 100 runs while batting .359 last season.
Cruz, also 30, had hit seven home runs with 18 RBI before getting injurde. Last season he hit .318 with 22 home runs.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Agneles and Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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