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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers continue to find ways to win without hitting the home run. Saturday night Baltimore added to its American League-leading total with three homers against the Rangers, but Texas was able to put together a six-run seventh inning without a homer to rally past Baltimore 8-4.
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The Rangers (7-6) matched their win total from last April when they started the season 7-14.
Texas didn't homer and has just eight on the season, the same total Baltimore has in the last two games, but the Rangers continue to pile up runs. That was evident in the seventh as they trailed 4-2 before scoring six times on five hits.
"Our guys are going to continue to grind at-bats out," said Texas manager Jeff Banister, whose team matched it season high with 14 hits. "I continue to say that home runs are going to come for us. We're going to hit balls out of the ballpark. It's putting runs together, putting A-Bs together, grinding them out. You get to the point where you can capitalize on your run-scoring ability."
Mitch Moreland's RBI double to right put the Rangers up for good at 5-4 off T.J. McFarland (0-1) and two batters later Rougned Odor laced a two-run single to right. Elvis Andrus capped the frame with an RBI single to right off Mychal Givens.
The big inning overshadowed a night in which the Orioles got three more home on solo shots by Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis. All three of the homers came off Texas starter Colby Lewis, who allowed four runs on 10 hits in his six innings.
While Lewis gave up four runs, he struck out the side in the sixth inning to get the ball to the winning pieces of the Texas bullpen with the Rangers still within striking distance.
"To kind of keep them at bay for six innings and keep us close, that's all I wanted to do," said Lewis, who struck out a season-high seven. "I felt like there were a couple of pitches there that I felt like if I made my pitches I cut those four runs to two runs. Other than that, I felt like I made the pitches I needed to make."
The Orioles built a 4-2 lead for Yovani Gallardo, who pitched six innings for the first time since Aug. 22 when he was a member of the Rangers. But Gallardo opened the seventh by walking Brett Nicholas before giving up a double to Delino DeShields, who had three hits. That proved to be the spark the Rangers needed.
Gallardo gave up four runs on nine hits in his six innings. He hadn't recorded an out in the seventh inning since last June 27 when he was with Texas, but Baltimore manager Buck Showalter thought he looked good Saturday.
"He [Gallardo] was doing good stuff," Showalter said. "I just didn't want to take him much over 100 and whatever. He's fine. Again, Colby very similar outings, just we didn't pitch the last nine outs as well as they did."
Gallardo believes the night turned when he walked Nicholas, the No. 9 hitter for Texas, to open the seventh.
"The 9-hole hitter, that can't happen," Gallardo said. "There's no excuse for it. That guy has to hit his way on. I ended up walking him."
McFarland, who had allowed just one run in his first four outings, was tagged for three runs in 1/3 inning of work. Givens allowed another on two hits in his 2/3 of an inning.
Keone Kela (1-0) struck out two in the seventh inning to pick up the win for Texas. Sam Dyson pitched a hitless eighth and Shawn Tolleson followed with a perfect ninth.
NOTES: The Rangers recalled RHP Nick Martinez from Triple-A Round Rock and put him in the bullpen. Texas optioned LHP Andrew Faulkner to Round Rock to make room for Martinez. ... Texas RHP Yu Darvish is slated to throw his second batting practice session Sunday in his bid to return from Tommy John elbow surgery. OF Josh Hamilton, who is on the disabled list recovering from left knee surgery, is scheduled to participate in the BP session. ... Texas will keep LHP Cole Hamels on his regular schedule and he'll start Tuesday's series opener against Houston. The Rangers have pushed back their other starters as RHP A.J. Griffin will follow Hamels with LHP Martin Perez pitching Thursday. ... The four home runs Baltimore hit in the seventh inning against Texas on Friday were the most hit by a team in one inning since Detroit had four in an inning June 1, 2013. ... Baltimore OF/DH Mark Trumbo became the first player to slam five home runs in the first 10 games of his Orioles' career. Nine players had hit four in their first 10 games w
ith Baltimore.
