Left-hander Cole Hamels, who is trying to break a three-year trend of slow starts, said the Rangers' increased use of statistical analysis has helped him feel "better equipped" at the start of the season than he has in previous years.

Hamels, who faces Los Angeles on Saturday, allowed Seattle a pair of runs in seven innings in winning the Rangers' season opener Monday. It ended a streak of five straight years in which he lost his first start of the season. Over the last three years, Hamels was 2-7 with a 4.42 ERA and a .750 opponents OPS for April.

"The scouting here is much more reliant on analytics than I had," Hamels said. "So much of what I did before was based on experience. Everything is right there on the iPad. I've been able to get stuff from the analytics that allows me to get something about [opponents'] approaches and get a better feel for their strengths and weaknesses."

Teaming with catcher Robinson Chirinos for the first time, Hamels was able to overcome some early-game release-point issues that he blamed on rushing too much. Hamels left a pair of four-seam fastballs up and over the middle that Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager both crushed them. The duo opted to throw other pitches when trying to go away from lefties for a while, and Hamels got back in sync.

Briefly: RHP Luke Jackson, on the major league disabled list, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock over the weekend after missing all of spring training with a back issue. He will then be assigned to Round Rock. ... On opening day in the minors, the Double-A-and-below quartet of LHP Frank Lopez, LHP Yohander Mendez, RHP Luis Ortiz (who relieved Mendez for one inning) and LHP Brett Martin combined to strike out 24 batters in 14 innings. The group allowed four earned runs (all by Mendez). ... RHP Tom Wilhelmsen received a fine for his Tuesday ejection, which is standard operating procedure, but will not be suspended. ... The Rangers chose not to expose SS Jurickson Profar and his surgically-repaired right shoulder to bitter cold Friday in Triple-A Round Rock's second game at Iowa. It was 45 degrees at game time with a wind chill of 29.