Orioles Rally, Beat Rangers in Extras

Texas began the final leg of its road trip with a loss at Baltimore on Independence Day

The Texas Rangers squandered a ninth-inning, go-head home run by Marcus Semien and ended up losing at the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 In 10 innings on Monday.

After the Rangers (37-41) failed to score in the top of the 10th, former Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor got on base with a bunt single that Rangers reliever Matt Moore (3-1) was unable to field. That moved the ghost runner, Austin Hays, to third base. The Rangers intentionally walked Ramon Urias to load the bases. Moore hit Jorge Mateo to bring home Hays and give the Orioles (37-44) the win.

The Orioles tied the game in the bottom of the ninth off Rangers closer Joe Barlow, who gave up a leadoff single to Trey Mancini. After recording the next two outs, Adley Rutschman drilled a line drive to right field that ended up hitting the wall. Rangers right fielder Adolis García misjudged the ball and it got past him on the carom, allowing pinch-runner Ryan McKenna to score and tie the game at 6-6.

Barlow got out of the jam to leave the game tied. But he squandered Marcus Semien’s leadoff home run in the top of the ninth inning off Orioles reliever Jorge Lopez, which hugged the left-field line and stayed inside the foul pole for his 10th home run this season.

That gave the Rangers a 6-5 lead, but Barlow couldn’t hold on for the save.

Rangers starter Dane Dunning and Orioles starter Dean Kremer took no-decisions. Dunning was victimized by a couple of challenges that went the Orioles’ way, along with a two-run sixth that chased him. The Rangers scored the rest of their runs in the top of the fifth, when they snapped Kremer’s streak of 23 straight scoreless innings to take a 5-2 lead.

The Rangers started with three straight singles from Josh Smith, Semien and Corey Seager to load the bases for García, the Rangers June Player of the Month. García’s sacrifice fly scored Smith from third. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a single to right that scored Semien and tied the game at 2-2.

Then Mitch Garver unloaded on a 1-0 pitch from Kremer for his ninth home run of the season, a hard shot to left field over the fence that is now 26 feet further back than it was a year ago.

Kremer was done after that, giving up eight hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Jorge Lopez gave up the home run to Semien in the ninth.

The Orioles tied the game in the fifth with two runs off Dunning.

After walking Rutschman, Dunning struck out Hays. Odor doubled to left on a ball that got past diving Rangers outfielder Steven Duggar, allowing Rutchsman to get to third. Jonathan Arauz reached on a slow roller misplayed for an error by Rangers first baseman Lowe, which scored both Rutschman and Odor, tying the game at 5-all.

Dennis Santana came in from the bullpen with a runner on and got the Rangers out of the inning tied. Brock Burke and Brett Martin kept the Orioles scoreless after Dunning left the game.

Dunning gave up seven hits and five runs (three earned). He walked one and struck out five.

The Orioles scored their first two runs, thanks in part to official challenges. Rutschman reached on an infield single in the bottom of the second. He was originally called out, but replay reversed the call. Then Dunning hit Hays on the wrist with a pitch, and Arauz drove in Rutschman on a single. But Arauz ended the inning by getting caught in a run down at first base.

In the third, Jorge Mateo reached on catcher’s interference, another play that was challenged, reviewed and reversed. Officials found that Rangers catcher Meibrys Viloria’s glove interfered with Mateo’s check swing. He later scored on a double by Cedric Mullins.

Mullins came back to pester the Rangers again in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to center field, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 5-3.

The Rangers announced Spencer Howard as the starting pitcher Tuesday. The Rangers have Glenn Otto slotted to start on Wednesday. Both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games are 6:05 p.m. CT starts.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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