Playing much better baseball lately, the Texas Rangers host an inconsistent Baltimore Orioles team still looking to find its way.
The Rangers open the three-game series on Tuesday night after taking three of four from the Kansas City Royals, including a 5-1 victory at home on Sunday. Texas has won 13 of its last 18.
The top part of the lineup has been a big help. The first five batters Sunday were all hitting at least .271, with three just over the .300 mark. One of the players who has given the Rangers a boost has been left fielder Hunter Pence.
The 36-year-old veteran has a .303 average with 11 homers and 39 RBIs. He hasn’t hit more than 13 homers in a season since 2014, but is having a resurgence in his first year with Texas after seven seasons with San Francisco.
But Texas did lose one strong offensive weapon when outfielder Joey Gallo (17 homers, 41 RBIs) went on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a strained left oblique. Gallo also is batting a career-best .276.
The Rangers are keeping their fingers crossed that Gallo won’t be out more than two weeks.
“We feel we were fortunate and got lucky that it was on the back side,” manager Chris Woodward said to MLB.com. “It’s not on the front side. It should be a lot easier. They are saying 10-14 days. I’m hoping for 10 days, but it’s probably going to be more like two weeks.”
Texas recalled outfielder Delino DeShields to take Gallo’s spot. DeShields began the season with the Rangers but had been sent down after batting .182 in 33 games.
The Orioles are coming off a tough weekend series with San Francisco. Baltimore dropped two of three after rallying from a five-run, first-inning deficit to win the first game, 9-6.
The Giants outscored the Orioles 16-3 on Saturday and Sunday, which puzzled Baltimore’s Trey Mancini, who hit two homers in the series.
“After the first game the other day, that was a win you think maybe can give you some momentum, and it really stinks to drop the last two games of the series after that,” Mancini told The Baltimore Sun. “But we’re going to have to find ways to string some together to kind of keep the momentum going.”
Mancini and Renato Nunez are two of the team’s top hitters. The former is a true All-Star candidate for Baltimore this season while the latter was with Texas before the Orioles picked him up on waivers from the Rangers in 2018.
Nunez has hit eight homers in his last 13 games and 15 overall this season.
Baltimore made some moves after Sunday’s loss to the Giants. The Orioles took Chris Davis (hip) off of the injured list and called up catcher Chance Sisco, who has been very hot at Triple-A Norfolk. They sent down infielder/outfielder Stevie Wilkerson and catcher Austin Wynns.
Right-hander Dylan Bundy (2-6, 4.58 ERA) starts for Baltimore against left-hander Drew Smyly (1-3, 6.98), who has struggled this season.
Bundy is 2-1 with a sparkling 0.78 ERA in five career games (three starts) against Texas. Smyly is 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) against Baltimore.