ARLINGTON, Texas—The Orioles’ bats, which produced 17 runs in the first two games of this series, were mostly quiet on Sunday. Shut out for seven innings, only a two-run home run by Anthony Santander could get them close in a 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers before 31,808 at Globe Life Field.
The loss ended the Orioles’ three-game winning streak, but the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees, 6-4, keeping the Orioles’ lead in the American League East at two games.
Oriole starter Dean Kremer allowed two hits in the first three innings. In the fourth, he walked Wyatt Langford with one out and Nathaniel Lowe with two down. Jonah Heim homered to center, and the Orioles (60-39) were trailing, 3-0.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney (4-10) worked five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits — Colton Cowser’s single in the first and Gunnar Henderson’s two-out double in the fifth. Heaney walked three and struck out four.
Josh Sborz retired the Orioles in order in the sixth and allowed a double by Cowser in a scoreless seventh.
Kremer (4-6) left with runners on first and third in the sixth with one out. In 5 1/3 innings, he allowed three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out three.
Adley Rutschman walked with one out in the eighth against David Robertson and Santander followed with his 27th home run to reduce the Rangers’ (47-52) lead to 3-2.
Jordan Westburg singled with two outs, and Ryan O’Hearn struck out to end the inning.
Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save.