Rangers’ offense falls flat against Baltimore
A trip to Baltimore should be exactly what the Texas Rangers need in order to get back on track. However, in the first game of a four game series with the Baltimore Orioles Thursday night it was more of the same.
Starting pitcher Colby Lewis looked good for the Rangers through six innings, but it was the seventh inning that did him in. Baltimore’s offense got four hits off Lewis and a fifth off reliever Darren Oliver to score the only runs of the game in a 4-0 win for the Orioles.
Lewis got off to a strong start retiring the first six batters he faced. Luke Scott got on base in the second inning with a single, but was out at second on a double play. Baltimore threatened to score in the third when they loaded the bases with only one out, but Lewis rebounded by striking out Nick Markakis and Ty Wigginton to end the threat.
Once again it was the failure of the offense to provide any run support that cost the Rangers in the end. Vladimir Guerrero made it to second base in the second inning, but failed to convert the scoring opportunity after Dave Murphy struck out and the newest Ranger, Jorge Cantu, hit into a double play.
Otherwise the Texas offense did not have more than one hit in an inning until Michael Young and Vladimir Guerrero got a pair of singles in the ninth inning. In five of nine innings Baltimore retired the only three Rangers they faced; no Ranger ever made it past second base.
The Rangers have had issues on the road all season and have the worst road record of the three American League division leaders (28-30 in comparison to 35-25 for the New York Yankees and 32-30 for the Minnesota Twins).
Texas has especially had trouble when facing the AL East. The series sweep they suffered at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays recently was the fourth time this season the Rangers were swept by an AL East opponent. Baltimore currently leads the season series with Texas, 5-2.
The loss drops Texas to 67-53 on the season; the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Boston Red Sox to close the Rangers’ division lead to seven games. Texas is scheduled to start C.J. Wilson in the second game of the series Friday night against Jake Arrieta for Baltimore.
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