Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Caleb Joseph's two-run homer helped the Baltimore Orioles to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Steve Pearce, whose two homers led the Orioles to a win in the four-game series opener on Monday, went deep again and Nelson Cruz also homered.
T.J. McFarland (1-1) earned the win in his first start of the season, surrendering just two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts over five innings.
Adam Rosales supplied a two-run double while Rougned Odor and Alex Rios each had two hits for Texas, which has dropped three straight and 11 of its last 13.
Nick Martinez (1-6) was tagged for eight runs -- six earned -- on seven hits and one walk in defeat.
"I think I did great, aside from what the line says," said Martinez. "I felt good. I felt like my delivery was good. ... Those homers are going to happen in this park, so you just have to wear it."
Pearce opened the scoring for Orioles in the first by crushing a shot just over the wall in left. Two batters later, Cruz stroked his 26th homer of the season to center, giving the Orioles an early 2-0 lead.
"Pearce has been unbelievable," said Cruz. "It seems like every time we need a big hit he's there to deliver."
Texas answered in the second. Robinson Chirinos singled and Chris Gimenez's double deflected off the glove of first baseman Chris Davis and into right, placing men at second and third. Rosales' double down the right-field line tied the game at 2-2.
In the home half, Joseph connected on a 3-1 fastball for a two-run homer over the left-field wall.
The Orioles tacked on four more runs in the fourth. J.J. Hardy and Jonathan Schoop both singled and Ryan Flaherty walked to load the bases. Joseph reached on Elvis Andrus' error on a force attempt, plating Hardy, and Nick Markakis' double to right scored Schoop and Flaherty. Pearce's sacrifice fly to left made it an 8-2 game.
Rios scored on Gimenez's groundout with men on second and third in the sixth.
Game Notes
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado served the second game of his five-game suspension Tuesday. He will be eligible to return to the lineup against Boston on Saturday ... Baltimore has homered two or more times in 31 games this season ... Martinez hasn't won a game since May 24 ... Baltimore leads the season series 4-1 ... The Rangers have lost seven straight games on the road ... Prior to the game, Texas designated Monday's starting pitcher Joe Saunders for assignment and recalled pitcher Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Round Rock ... Texas is nine games under .500 for the first time since April 29, 2008.
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