TEXAS has dropped back-to-back games to open this 7-day, 7-game homestand against BAL (0-2 + 2 G) and CWS (4 G)…fall to season high-tying 11 games under .500 for the 2nd time in 2022 (also 43-54 after loss on Wed. at SEA)…tonight’s defeat extended home losing streak to 6 straight games (beg. 7/14), the club’s longest-ever losing skid at Globe Life Field and longest in Arlington since 4/8-21/18 (also 6 straight)…is 0-5 in 5 G vs. Baltimore this season, and will need a win tomorrow to avoid going winless in a season series against an A.L. opponent for the 1st time in franchise history.
MEIBRYS VILORIA tallied career high-tying 3 hits (2x, also 9/29/18 vs. CLE w/ KC), including a double and solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 9th inning…his 7 total bases were a career best and the most by a TEX catcher in a single game this season…Viloria has gone 4-for-8 with 2 HR, 2B, and 3 RBI over his last 3 G after going 3-for-20 (.150) over his first 8 G as a Ranger.
MARCUS SEMIEN plated Texas’ 1st run of the night with an RBI single in the 5th, his 50th RBI of the season…recorded his 99th and 100th hits of 2022 (both singles), joining Nathaniel Lowe (105) as the 2nd Ranger to reach the 100-hit plateau this season…Semien is batting .289 (61-211) over his last 51 G (beg. 6/5) to raise his season BA from .191 to .241…he leads Rangers in RBI (33) and home runs (13-tied) since the beginning of June.
NATHANIEL LOWE extended his hitting streak to career-best 9 straight games with his single in the 6th inning, and finished with a pair of singles on the night…has gone 5-for-8 this series (all singles), producing multiple hits in 2 straight, 3 of his last 6, and 6 of his last 12 G at .375 (18-48)… Lowe is batting .358 (19-53) in 13 G since the All-Star break, as he entered tonight’s contest trailing only CLE’s Steven Kwan (22) and NYY’s Aaron Judge (19) for the A.L.’s post-break hits lead.
SPENCER HOWARD surrendered season high-tying 6 R-ER (2x, also 6 R-ER on 4/10 at TOR) over 4.0 innings, taking his 3rd loss of the year (3-2) after exiting with none out in the 5th and Texas in an 0-6 hole…permitted as many runs tonight (6) as he had in his previous 3 starts combined (also 6), raising his ERA from season-low 5.93 to 6.82…was undone by a 5-run 3rd inning in which he allowed a 3-run HR on an 0-2 pitch to Jorge Mateo.
BALTIMORE has won 2 straight, now have a 3-2 record on this trip entering tomorrow’s road trip finale…moved to 5-0 vs. TEX this season ahead of the season series finale tomorrow…have won 7 of 13 and club is 29-16 (.644) since 6/11, 2nd-best record in the A.L. in that span (HOU: 31-15 + tonight)…club improved to 53-51 on the year, already surpassing the O’s 2021 win total (52-110)…have matched season high water mark at 2 games above .500, latest in a season (101 games) to be 2-over since 2017 (71-69 thru 9/7/17).
JORDAN LYLES allowed one run in 6.1 innings to earn his 8th win of the season…posted a game score of 61, his 5th-best this season, with his 3rd and 5th-best game scores coming in his past 2 starts (63 on 7/28 vs. TB)…last 2 starts: 2-0, 0.75 ERA (1 ER/12.0 IP), 5 BB, 11 SO…faced Rangers for 1st time since 2 years with the club in 2020-21, posting just his 2nd career win against Texas…earned his 8th career win at Globe Life Field (now 8-5, 5.02 ERA, 69 ER/123.2 IP in 23 G/20 GS)…his 20 starts at GLF rank 2nd all-time (22-Dane Dunning).
ADLEY RUTSCHMAN had 2 doubles and an RBI tonight…now has 22 doubles on the year, most among MLB rookies…the 22 doubles are T12th-most by a rookie in O’s history since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954…at current pace (.39 doubles per game), the O’s rookie doubles record is within reach (32 by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982)…the 22 doubles are 3rd-most in Browns/O’s franchise history by a rookie catcher to only Clint Courtney (24 2B for 1952 Browns) and Hal Smith (23 2B for 1955 O’s).
JORGE MATEO had a career night, posting his first 2-HR game along with a career-high 5 RBI…now has 10 HR, his 1st career 10-HR season…hit HR in his 1st PA (3-R in 3rd for game’s 1st runs) and last PA (2-R in 9th) tonight…is the 4th Texas opponent with a 2-HR game at Globe Life Field this season, joining LAA’s Shohei Ohtani (4/15), ATL’s William Contreras (4/29), and LAA’s Jared Walsh (5/18).
MISCELLANEOUS: Each of Taylor Hearn’s last 4 appearances for Texas have come as a reliever, and he has posted a 1.35 ERA (2 ER/13.1 IP) and .170 opp. BA in those outings…Rangers batters have combined for 18 strikeouts against just 2 walks in the first 2 G of this series…Leody Taveras recorded 2 batted balls with exit velocities of 100+ mph tonight: 1st-inn. single (103.4) & 8th-inn. lineout to short (105.0)…BAL’s Yusniel Diaz made his ML debut as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning (strikeout looking)…BAL’s 5-run 3rd inning marked 7th inning of 5+ R this season, 2nd on the road, with last overall instance being a 6-run 3rd inning on 6/16 at TOR…the Rangers left 10 men on base tonight, one shy of matching club’s season high for a 9-inn. game (11, 2x).
