Inside The Rangers

Grand Game 2! Mitch Garver, Texas Rangers Unload On Orioles, Take 2-0 ALDS Lead

The Texas Rangers scored five in the second and Mitch Garver added a grand slam in the third to beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-5 Sunday for a 2-0 lead in their ALDS.

Stefan Stevenson

Grand Game 2! Mitch Garver, Texas Rangers Unload On Orioles, Take 2-0 ALDS Lead
Grand Game 2! Mitch Garver, Texas Rangers Unload On Orioles, Take 2-0 ALDS Lead /
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BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles must be wondering what just hit them.

That was the Texas Rangers offense, again and again.

The Rangers exploded for nine runs in the first three innings to win 11-8 and take a commanding two-game lead in their best-of-five American League Division Series on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

Texas will go for a sweep in Game 3 at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

It wasn't just the Rangers' bats, but the Orioles' arms. Baltimore walked 11 batters and Texas made them pay, including Mitch Garver, who in his second postseason at-bat, followed three consecutive walks with a one-out grand slam in the third inning. That put the Rangers up 9-2.

After the Orioles scored twice in the first — the first time Texas has trailed in four postseason games — the Rangers came right back with five runs in the second.

Nathaniel Lowe walked and Josh Jung singled before Leody Taveras' two-run double to the left-center gap tied it at 2-2. Taveras later scored on Garver's RBI dribbler to the left of the mound that pitcher Grayson Rodriguez fielded and threw too softly to first. Adolis Garcia drove in Seager with a single up the middle to give Texas a 4-2 lead. Jonah Heim's single to left scored Garver to make it 5-2.

Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk in four innings. Baltimore scored twice in the first after loading the bases with two singles and a walk for Aaron Hicks, who drove in two with his single to right.

The Orioles, who won 101 games while winning the AL East to claim the No. 1 seed for the postseason, added two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to pull to within 10-5.

Aaron Hicks' three-run homer off Jose Leclerc in the ninth pulled Baltimore to within 11-8, Leclerc retired the final two batters to close it out.

Rangers 11, Orioles 8

Here are the key takeaways from Game 2 at Camden Yards:

Rangers Bat Around

The Rangers batted around during a five-run second inning. It's the seventh time in Rangers postseason history the club has bat around in an inning and first since the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 2011 World Series against the Cardinals. Texas' five runs are tied for the third-most in any postseason inning in Rangers history.

Garver's Grand Slam

Mitch Garver's third-inning grand slam Sunday is the second postseason grand slam in Rangers history. The first was Nelson Cruz's walk-off grand slam in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 10, 2011.

Garver also had an RBI in the second inning. His five RBI tied the Rangers' postseason single-game record. It was accomplished twice before: Cruz in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS and Michael Young in Game 6 of the 2011 ALCS.

Walk This Way

The Rangers walked nine times (they did by the fifth inning) Sunday to set a postseason single-game high. The MLB record is 12, done by the Astros in 2005 and the Yankees in 2020.

Corey Seager Sets Walk Record

Corey Seager walked in each of his five at-bats Sunday, the first time in MLB history the feat has been accomplished.

Bradford Comes Up Big

Reliever Cody Bradford was the lone addition to the Rangers' ALDS roster update and he came up big in Sunday's win. Bradford took over for Jordan Montgomery after the Orioles started the fifth with a homer and single. Bradford retired the next three batters and held the Orioles scoreless on one hit over three innings. He didn't get into trouble until the eighth. After getting two quick outs, Jorge Mateo singled and Adley Rutschman doubled. That was enough for Bruce Bochy to call on Josh Sborz to get the final out in the eighth.Sborz induced a groundout on his first pitch.

Up Next

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi faces an Orioles starter to be announced in Game 3 at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Rangers 'Pen Escapes Game 1

You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.

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Stefan Stevenson
STEFAN STEVENSON

Stefan Stevenson worked as a journalist and editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 25 years, covering sports, concerts, and general news. His beats have included the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and Texas Christian University football.

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