The Baltimore Orioles have yet to find consistency on offense this season, but they have hit well at times.
Baltimore banged out five homers in a 12-11, series-opening win at Texas on Tuesday night, and now the Orioles will look to keep it going Wednesday.
The Orioles came into the series having lost twice and scored a total of three runs in the final two games of their weekend series against the visiting San Francisco Giants. That was after they scored eight runs in the first two innings and rolled to a 9-6 victory in the series opener.
Dwight Smith Jr. played a big role in that game, belting a first-inning grand slam that gave Baltimore the lead for good. He’s been the team’s most pleasant surprise on offense, and the outfielder contributed again Tuesday.
Smith hit a three-run homer in the first inning, then added a three-run double in the fourth. Pedro Severino homered three times and drove in four runs.
But Severino, the Orioles’ catcher, made his best contribution with a good throw to first after the final pitch of the game — strike three to Elvis Andrus — got past him. That throw just beat Andrus and ended the wild game in which the Rangers scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth.
“Nice job by our offense,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said in an interview on MASN after the game. “We had some big nights offensively. We held on.”
Hyde also said before the game that Severino and Chance Sisco, just called up, likely will platoon at catcher.
Baltimore got Chris Davis back from the injured list Tuesday after he recovered from a hip ailment, but the first baseman’s problems continued as he went 0-for-5 and his average slipped to .164.
John Means (5-4, 2.80 ERA), the Orioles’ other big surprise this season, will start on Wednesday against fellow left-hander Mike Minor (5-4, 2.74).
This will be Means’ first career appearance versus the Rangers. Minor is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in five career games (two starts) against Baltimore.
The Rangers are trying to bounce back from a shaky effort in Tuesday’s loss. They fell behind 9-2 early but then forced Hyde to use three pitchers in the ninth to hold on for the win.
The result ended Texas’ three-game winning streak. The Rangers’ biggest problem was pitching, as starter Drew Smyly allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings while the bullpen gave up five more runs.
Rangers reliever Shelby Miller, who had not allowed a run in four consecutive appearances, surrendered two runs on four hits in two innings.
The Rangers, who moved him to the bullpen from the rotation after he struggled earlier this season, had been hopeful about him in recent days.
“I’m telling you, he’s got no fear,” manager Chris Woodward told MLB.com over the weekend. “He’s executing his pitches a lot better. He has a low heart rate.”
Shin-Soo Choo has been giving the Texas offense a boost recently. He is batting .393 (11-for-28) with two homers and six RBIs in his past seven games.
Choo homered to start the bottom of the first Tuesday and came up with a key infield single that drove in a run in the ninth, cutting Baltimore’s lead to one. The Rangers, though, could do no more.