Major League Baseball

Rangers 13, Orioles 5

Published Jul. 7, 2011 5:28 a.m. ET

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Alexi Ogando pitched like an All-Star. Now he has to wait and see if he gets the call to join the AL staff for Tuesday's game in Arizona.

Ogando allowed four hits over seven innings in his last start before the break and the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 13-5 victory on Wednesday night.

Ogando (9-3) snapped a tie with Colby Lewis and C.J. Wilson for the team lead in wins, turning in his second consecutive effective outing after losing three straight starts.

Ogando wasn't chosen by his manager, AL skipper Ron Washington, for the original All-Star staff, but the right-hander has a chance to be a late selection because so many of the AL All-Star pitchers take the mound on Sunday.

''Of course, I'm here doing my job and I don't have control over those things, but if those things happen, I of course, would be happy to play and represent my team in the All-Star game,'' Ogando said through an interpreter.

During Ogando's three-game slide, there had been concern over the innings total for the converted reliever. But he got back on track when he allowed two runs and five hits over 6 2-3 innings in a 15-5 victory over Florida on July 1, and followed that up with Wednesday's effort.

For Ogando, a trip to Arizona would be nice. So would a few days' rest, even though he insisted he isn't fatigued despite throwing 104 2-3 innings this season.

Ogando's workload last year was 72 1-3 innings over two minor league stops and 44 games for Texas.

''It'll be good to have some days off, but ... I feel strong,'' Ogando said. ''I don't feel that I'm tired or that I show that I'm tired, but the break is always good.''

The Rangers provided plenty of support Wednesday, finishing with 19 hits.

Mike Napoli hit a three-run homer in Texas' four-run seventh. Michael Young and Nelson Cruz also had three RBIs for the Rangers, who moved back into sole possession of first place with the help of Detroit's 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels earlier Wednesday.

Elvis Andrus had four hits and Young scored twice, giving him 958 career runs, tying Rafael Palmeiro for the team record.

Texas outscored Baltimore 30-11 in the series.

''We knew we could hit,'' Young said. ''We have a talented group of guys one through nine. We feel like anyone who's up at the plate has a chance to put up a good at-bat and find a way to be productive.''

Baltimore pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (3-11) got off to a rough start and never recovered, yielding six runs and eight hits in five innings while taking over the AL lead in losses. Four of the runs came in the first inning.

''Some of the pitches tonight were all right, but they got hit,'' Guthrie said. ''Others were mistakes. There's a lot of work to do on my end. Fortunately there's more season left to improve.''

Vladimir Guerrero homered and drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have dropped eight of nine.

Guerrero, who hadn't had an extra-base hit in 34 at-bats since June 16, helped the Rangers reach the World Series last season, and he received an ovation from the crowd as he circled the bases on his solo shot in the seventh.

The first three Texas hitters reached against Guthrie in the first, two via walks, and Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly got the scoring underway. Young's RBI double and Cruz's two-run single made it 4-0.

Baltimore pushed across two runs in the second when Matt Wieters doubled and scored on Derrek Lee's seventh homer, a 420-foot drive onto the grass hill behind the center-field fence.

In the fifth, Beltre's RBI double and Young's run-scoring single extended the lead to 6-2.

NOTES: Orioles manager Buck Showalter said RHP Mitch Atkins' performance on Tuesday night against Texas in his first major league start (one run and eight hits in six innings) probably was good enough to earn him a second start on Sunday at Boston. ''I thought he presented himself well,'' Showalter said. ''I'd say he's the front-runner for Sunday.'' ... In the second, Texas CF Endy Chavez was hit in the back of the helmet by Guthrie's pickoff throw to first. Chavez was face-first on the ground for about 10 seconds, but remained in the game after he was checked by trainer Jamie Reed.

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