BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins doubled in the 10th inning to score the winning run, and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers 10-9 on Tuesday-evening in a wild game with several comebacks and homeruns.
Mullins hit a two-piece liner in Matt Moore’s hole (3-2) to take home Ryan McKennawho started the inning at second base.
Joey Krehbiel (4-3) worked out of a base-loaded jam in the top of the tenth inning for the Orioles, who have taken three consecutive wins after a four-game slip.
This one was especially fun, even if they couldn’t shake the Rangers until the last game of the game. The Orioles became the first team in Major League history to allow an tying or lead homer in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings and still win the game, according to Stats.
“That’s a great feeling, to be in the fight all night and come out on top,” said Mullins. “We had a lot of opportunities to finish it early, but it’s huge for our pitching staff to know they have guys they can count on if they don’t come out strong.”
Texas trailed 4-0 in the second inning, 7-4 in the eighth and 8-7 in the ninth before rallied. Not to be outdone, Baltimore pulled from a 9-8 deficit in the ninth when Rougned Odor hit a two-out, solo recording to center right by Joe Barlow.
Mitch GarverNathaniel Lowe and Corey Seagar homered for the Rangers, who have joined in 11 consecutive games to equal their longest run of the season.
“We fought. We had some big hits there at the end,” said manager Chris Woodward.
But the poor pitching from a tired assistant was too much to overcome.
“We were pretty thin in the bullpen. Some of those guys we wanted to stay away from would come in and throw and give everything they had,” Woodward said. “The pitches we gave up got too much of the record.”
After Lowe drove for three runs to make it 7-7 for the Rangers in the eighth, McKenna led off the bottom half with his first homerun of the season, off John King. McKenna raised his arm after the ball landed in the front row of seats behind a left field wall that had moved back and up for the season.
But the benefit was short-lived. Félix Bautista gave up an one-out single before Seager homered to give the Rangers their first lead.
Baltimore led 4-0 in the second inning against righthander Spencer Howard. After Jorge Mateo hit an RBI-single with two outs, Mullins doubled in two runs and Trey Mancini doubled into the corner of left field.
Called up from Triple-A Round Rock to make his second career start, Howard gave up four runs and six hits in four innings.
“He did well,” Woodward said. “Obviously that second inning kind of got away from him.”
After Texas got the bases loaded in the fifth inning against starter Austin Voth, Keegan Akin gave up a sacrifice fly to Josh Smith. Marcus Semien then bounced a runscoring single to third base and Seager lined an RBI single to the middle.
Garver started the seventh with a homer from Akin to make 4-all. He became the seventh Rangers player on the team to hit double digits in home runs.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The Rangers (37-42) haven’t been at .500 since the end of May and are guaranteed a losing record at the midpoint of 81 games. Two stats stand out: Texas is 13-37 in scoring five points or less and 4-16 in one-point games. “The boys play hard. They fight, they grind,” Woodward said. “They’re really frustrated in that locker room.”
TRAINERS ROOM
Orioles: OR Austin Hays was not in the starting lineup because his right wrist still hurt after being hit by a pitch on Monday. … 1B Ryan Mountcastle failed to start due to a “sinus problem,” said manager Brandon Hyde. … RHP Kyle Bradish (shoulderitis) will be giving a simulated game “in the coming days,” Hyde said.
NEXT ONE
Rangers: RHP Glenn Otto (4-4, 5.63 ERA) starts the series finale on Wednesday-evening. He is 0-2 with a 15.00 ERA in two starts since coming off the COVID-19 roster.
Orioles: RHP Spenser Watkins (1-1, 4.61) makes his first career appearance against Texas. It will be Watkins’ eleventh start of the season and sixth at home, where he is 0-0 with a 5.51 ERA.
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