The Rangers entered Thursday night's series opener with the Orioles looking for their 13th consecutive victory with Cole Hamels on the mound, but it looked like their luck might run out until a sixth-inning barrage spared Hamels and pushed Texas to a 6-3 victory.
Hamels allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings and left trailing by a run, in danger of earning his second loss in 15 starts with the Rangers. But his teammates pounced on Orioles starterChris Tillman in the bottom half of the inning. Rougned Odor had the pivotal hit with a two-run double past left fielder Joey Rickard to break the 3-3 tie.
"We were able to get those big at-bats," said Hamels. "It's huge when guys are able to come through like they did."
The Orioles suffered consecutive defeats for the first time this season after sprinting to a club-record 7-0 start. Tillman had allowed only one run across two previous starts this season.
The Rangers improved to 13-2 in Hamels' starts since they acquired the ace from Philadelphia at the non-waiver Trade Deadline last season.
"They bend but they don't break," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Hamels and pitchers of his caliber. "That's why those guys are in such demand, and the Rangers wanted him. That's what they do."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Rockin' Rougie: Odor's two-run double in the Rangers' five-run sixth represented his seventh and eighth RBIs in his last seven games and made up for a baserunning gaffe when he was caught between second and third with no outs on a deep ground ball to short in the fifth.
Rockin' Rougie: Odor's two-run double in the Rangers' five-run sixth represented his seventh and eighth RBIs in his last seven games and made up for a baserunning gaffe when he was caught between second and third with no outs on a deep ground ball to short in the fifth.
"We have a pretty good offense," Odor said. "We can drive runs in. As soon as we score one run, we can score more." More >
O's chase Hamels, but can't capitalize: Baltimore might have had a chance to run away with the game in the top of the sixth, when Chris Davis walked and scored on Matt Wieters' double, and J.J. Hardy singled to put runners at the corners with one out and a 3-1 lead. Hamels' night was over at that point, but reliever Tom Wilhelmsen ended the threat on his second pitch, getting Schoop to ground into an inning-ending double play.
"We've got to capitalize on the guys on third base," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said. "We had three ... opportunities to capitalize with men on second base and less than two outs, and we didn't get them in."
Crisis averted: Down, 2-1, Hamels worked out of a jam in the fifth with runners at second and third with no outs after Jonathan Schoop's single and Nolan Reimold's double. Hamels, though, struck out Rickard and Adam Jones with a Manny Machado groundout sandwiched in between to get out of the inning unscathed.
"I think with these guys, it's go after him," Hamels said on his mind-set facing Machado. "That part of the lineup you have guys behind him who are just as good. You can't really tread lightly when you get in that part of the lineup." More >
Orioles' power surge continues: Trumbo hit Baltimore's 15th homer in nine games this season, connecting on a Hamels fastball in the fourth inning and driving it into the Rangers' bullpen in right field. The solo shot, Trumbo's third homer of 2016, gave the Orioles the lead until the sixth.
QUOTABLE
"He had a good at-bat. It's something I wanted to do, give him another experience doing that and try to throw as many things as I can to get him into the flow of what we all have to do at times, contribute." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter on Hyun Soo Kim, who had a pinch-hit single off Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson in the ninth
"He had a good at-bat. It's something I wanted to do, give him another experience doing that and try to throw as many things as I can to get him into the flow of what we all have to do at times, contribute." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter on Hyun Soo Kim, who had a pinch-hit single off Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson in the ninth
WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Vance Worley will make his second start for the Orioles and second career start against the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET. In his previous outing against Texas in 2013, Worley allowed two runs in five innings in a loss in Minnesota.
Orioles: Vance Worley will make his second start for the Orioles and second career start against the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET. In his previous outing against Texas in 2013, Worley allowed two runs in five innings in a loss in Minnesota.
Rangers: Martin Perez makes his third start of the season in a 7:05 p.m. CT game against Baltimore. The lefty will be looking to extend a three-game home winning streak, dating back to last season. In his only career start against the Orioles, Perez claimed a 4-3 victory, retiring the first 14 batters he faced.
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