Major League Baseball

Rangers 8, Orioles 5

Published Jul. 9, 2013 4:35 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

After the Baltimore Orioles repeatedly failed to get a clutch hit, the Texas Rangers got one after another in a big inning that ultimately decided a duel between AL playoff contenders.

Ian Kinsler capped a six-run sixth with a bases-loaded double, and the Rangers rolled to an 8-5 victory Monday night to move 15 games over .500 (52-37) for the first time since May 25.

''My team is very confident right now,'' manager Ron Washington said. ''We just try to go out every day and play the best game we can. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we certainly don't question things. We just try to play good baseball.''

Kinsler matched his career high with four RBIs, including three in the sixth against former teammate Scott Feldman (0-1) when the Rangers turned a 3-2 deficit into an 8-3 lead.

''He came up in that situation and delivered,'' Washington said of Kinsler.

Baltimore, conversely, stranded 10 and went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

''The game turned on a big inning, and we were unable to come back from it,'' Baltimore's Adam Jones said.

The victory improved Texas' road record to 25-18, best in franchise history after 43 games. The Rangers have won seven of their last eight on the road.

It was the first game between the teams since Baltimore eliminated Texas from the AL playoffs with a 5-1 win last October. Not counting that defeat, the Rangers have won 11 of 14 against the Orioles.

Derek Holland (7-4) allowed five runs, three earned, and 10 hits in 6 2-3 innings for Texas. He struck out Matt Wieters and major-league home run leader Chris Davis three times apiece.

''I felt good, everything was good, but for the most part, I really have to pitch better than that,'' said Holland, who threw a career-high 125 pitches. ''The guys gave me some runs and I gave them right back up. Give Wash credit for letting me stay out there. He had confidence in me and I have confidence as well. I just didn't get the job done.''

Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save, tied for the AL lead.

Wieters homered and Manny Machado had three hits for the Orioles. Davis and Wieters both struck out four times, the last times against Nathan in the ninth.

Making his home debut after being obtained in a July 2 trade with the Chicago Cubs, Feldman went up against the team he played with for eight seasons through 2012. The right-hander yielded seven runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

The key, of course, was the sixth.

A.J. Pierzynski doubled in a run and Elvis Andrus chased Feldman with an RBI single for a 4-3 lead. Engel Beltre greeted Troy Patton with a run-scoring single before Kinsler doubled into the left-field corner.

''That sixth inning was a rough one,'' the right-hander said. ''Made some decent pitches, just seemed like everything they were hitting that inning kind of was like in a great spot.''

Wieters hit his 12th homer, a two-run drive in the seventh, to get Baltimore to 8-5.

The Orioles went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position over the first three innings, and although they came back to take the lead, the squandered opportunities cost them in the end.

''Yeah, we had our chances,'' Wieters said. ''We were able to get guys on with no outs and just couldn't quite get them in.''

Texas went up 1-0 in the third when Andrus hit a leadoff single and scored on a two-out single by Kinsler.

The Rangers added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Mitch Moreland. Feldman avoided further damage by getting Andrus to hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Baltimore took a 3-2 lead in the bottom half. A walk, a double and a throwing error by Moreland on Brian Roberts' RBI grounder to first base produced two runs, and Machado added a two-out RBI single. With the bases loaded and two outs, Holland struck out Wieters for the third time.

NOTES: Texas has scored at least five runs in a season-high five straight games. ... Orioles LHP Zach Britton will start Tuesday against Rangers LHP Martin Perez (2-1, 1.85 ERA). In his only other start against Texas, in April 2011, Britton threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to earn the win. ... Orioles LHP Wei-Yin Chen (right oblique strain) will come off the DL on Wednesday and start against Texas, manager Buck Showalter said. Chen hasn't pitched since May 12. ... Kinsler was thrown out trying to steal second, the sixth time in 10 tries he's been caught this season. ... Machado was assured his 35th multihit game - tied for the AL lead - by the third inning.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball