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ARLINGTON, Texas—In the first two games of the season’s second half, the Orioles have scored enough runs to allow their starting pitchers to work comfortably and have come away with two wins.
On Saturday night, they drew nine walks, were hit by pitches three times and had productive at-bats on their way to an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers before 38,410 at Globe Life Field.
Combined with the New York Yankees’ 9-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles increased their lead in the American League East to two games.
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For the second straight game, the Orioles scored four runs early in the game. On Friday night, it was in the first. This time, it was in the second.
With runners on first and second and none out, Cedric Mullins grounded back to Texas starter Max Scherzer (1-3), who threw the ball wildly to right field, allowing Jordan Westburg, who singled to snap his 0-for-15 streak, to score.
Ramón Urias’ RBI single scored Colton Cowser and Mullins, and Anthony Santander’s run-scoring single gave the Orioles (60-38) a 4-0 lead, and Scherzer left the game after two innings.
Oriole starter Grayson Rodriguez (12-4) allowed two runs in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run single by Andrew Knizner. The Rangers (46-52) had three hits in the inning, and Rodriguez didn’t allow another as he worked six innings, retiring 14 of his final 15 hitters. He struck out eight and walked two.
Mullins hit his 10th home run of the season against José Ureña in the third to put the Orioles ahead, 5-2. He became the eighth Oriole to hit at least 10 home runs.
Ryan O’Hearn drew the Orioles’ eighth walk in the sixth, a season high for the team, and Westburg hit his 16th home run against Jacob Latz for a 7-2 lead.
Jacob Webb pitched a scoreless seventh, and Cionel Pérez walked two of his three batters. Wyatt Langford, who’d been 0-for-27, doubled against Yennier Cano to score Marcus Semien. Corey Seager scored on Adolis García’s grounder to short. Cano struck out Nathaniel Lowe to end the eighth.
O’Hearn hit his 12th home run in the ninth to give the Orioles an 8-4 lead, and Craig Kimbrel worked the bottom of the ninth.
Although the Orioles scored eight runs, they were just 3-for-13 with runners on base and left 15 on.