Baltimore, MD – Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer and Elvis Andrus added two RBI as Texas tripped up Baltimore, 7-3, in the back end of a doubleheader from Camden Yards.
Adrian Beltre, Michael Young and Mike Napoli drove in a run each for the Rangers, who took three of four in the series.
"We've been playing good baseball against a pretty good baseball team. They challenged us in all four of the games we were here and we were fortunate enough to get three of them," said Rangers manager Ron Washington.
Derek Holland (3-2) worked six innings, giving up four hits and three unearned runs, fanning five and walking two.
Wilson Betemit knocked in a run for the Orioles, who couldn't maintain momentum from a 6-5 win in the opener which saw the club belt five home runs.
Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, Tommy Hunter (2-2) struck out seven and walked one, but allowed five hits and four runs over six full frames.
"You've just got to turn the page and move on," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of losing the series.
Texas moved ahead in the fifth with a pair of runs on Napoli's RBI triple and Andrus' RBI single, then came up with three more in the sixth after Hunter exited.
It began against Matt Lindstrom with a Mitch Moreland fielder's choice grounder that erased Napoli, then Ian Kinsler singled and Andrus followed with a bloop hit to right to score a run. After a free pass to Hamilton, O's third baseman Steve Tolleson booted a Beltre grounder to bring in Kinsler and Young's groundout scored Andrus for a 7-3 game.
Alexi Ogando and Mike Adams turned in scoreless seventh and eighth innings. Joe Nathan followed suit in the ninth, stranding a runner on third by fanning Rob Andino swinging.
Andrus worked a leadoff walk and Hamilton sent him home with a two-run shot to right which nearly reached the warehouse across Eutaw Street.
The O's came back with three in the second thanks to three errors: a Kinsler fielding gaffe on a Matt Wieters grounder which put runners on the corners, Andrus' throwing error on a Tolleson infield hit that allowed Wieters to score and Hamilton's wild throw on a Luis Exposito fly which plated Reynolds. Betemit came up with a sacrifice fly during the rally as well.
Game Notes
Texas upped its mark to 6-0-6 in doubleheaders since dropping two to the Yankees in May of 2007...Andrus extended his hit streak to 10 games and also stretched his run of reaching base to 28 consecutive outings...Hamilton ended the set by going 8-for-17 with six runs scored, six home runs and 12 RBI...Lindstrom was dented for three hits and three runs -- two earned -- in his inning on the mound...Baltimore also placed outfielder Endy Chavez on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain.
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