Orioles hit three home runs to beat Rangers again

Cedric Mullins, Jordan Westburg and Ryan O’Hearn each hit a home run to cap six strong innings from Grayson Rodriguez on Saturday as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers 8-4 in Arlington, Texas.

Ramon Urias drove in two runs in Baltimore’s four-run second inning to end the night for the Rangers’ Max Scherzer. It was the right-handed pitcher’s shortest outing in his six starts this season.

The Orioles took a 5-2 lead in the third inning on Mullins’ 10th homer of the season, a solo shot by Jose Urena, before Westburg made it 7-2 in the sixth with his 16th homer, a two-run blast by Jacob Latz. O’Hearns’ 12th came in the ninth inning by Jose Leclerc to round out the scoring.

Yennier Cano threw Baltimore out of the eighth inning after Cionel Perez walked the first two batters of the inning, both of whom later scored, putting Texas back up 7-4.

Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth inning for the Orioles, who won the first two games of the three-game series to earn their 60th victory of the season, trailing only the Philadelphia Phillies (62).

Rodriguez (12-4) was settled after allowing a two-run single to Andrew Knizner in the second inning to cut Baltimore’s lead to 4-2. The right-handed pitcher retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight.

Wyatt Langford had an RBI double and Adolis Garcia added a run-scoring groundout in the eighth inning for the Rangers, who lost Friday’s series opener 9-1.

Scherzer (1-3) allowed four runs on five hits in two innings. He walked two and struck out one. The Orioles sent nine batters to the plate against him in the second inning.

After Westburg and Colton Cowser led off the inning, Mullins sacrificed to Scherzer, whose throw to first base rocketed into right field to give Westburg the game’s first run. Urias followed with his two-run single and later scored on Anthony Santander’s two-out hit to give Baltimore a 4-0 lead.

Westburg and Urias led the Orioles with three hits and two RBIs each.

Heston Kjerstad started in right field and went 0-for-2 with a single while batting fifth for Baltimore after being taken off the seven-day concussion list earlier Saturday.

Kjerstad went to the IL after being hit in the helmet by a 97 mph fastball from New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes on July 12.

–Field Level Media