Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Chris Tillman overshadowed the much- anticipated Rangers debut of Cliff Lee with 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and the Baltimore Orioles recorded their first road series win of 2010 with a 6-1 victory over Texas.
Tillman (1-3), who came into the game with an 8.40 earned run average and was recalled from the minors on Saturday, carried a no-hitter into the seventh and allowed just two hits and one walk while fanning three for Baltimore, which has won the first three games of this set to record its first road series win of the season (1-13-1).
Nick Markakis, Cesar Izturis and Adam Jones all homered in the victory.
Lee (8-4) had a less than spectacular debut with his new club, giving up six runs and nine hits in a complete game effort — his sixth of the year and fifth in seven contests. The Orioles attacked him early in the count, as evidenced by his 95 pitches thrown, 73 for strikes.
The All-Star lefty was acquired on Friday in a deal with division rival Seattle, as the Rangers make a push for their first playoff appearance since 1999. It is Lee’s fourth team in two seasons, and he will head for free agency in the offseason barring a long-term agreement with Texas.
David Murphy scored the Rangers’ lone run on a wild pitch, as Texas lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Lee, who didn’t arrive to the ballpark until a couple hours before game-time, showed signs of fatigue early on. The first pitch he threw as a Ranger went for a double by Corey Patterson, and the next pitch was lined to right for an RBI single from Miguel Tejada.
Lee was able to settle down until the fourth, when Markakis deposited an offering into the right-field seats for a 2-0 Baltimore lead. The Orioles kept taking Texas’ new ace deep, as Izturis hammered his first homer of the year — a solo shot — with two outs in the fifth, and Jones’ two-run shot with two down in the sixth provided a 5-0 cushion.
Meanwhile, Tillman flirted with history.
The Orioles’ lanky righty retired the first nine hitters he faced before walking Elvis Andrus to begin the fourth. He was able to record outs during the next three at-bats and carried a no-hitter into the seventh.
Ian Kinsler, however, broke up the bid with one out in the seventh inning, poking a ground ball through the infield’s left side. Tillman recovered to retire the next two hitters to keep his shutout intact.
The whitewash attempt quickly went by the wayside in the eighth, however, as Murphy singled to center and scampered to third when the ball eluded Jones and subsequently scored on a wild pitch.
Jones scored on a double play in the ninth to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Lee is the first Rangers player to give up three homers in his debut with the team since Ryan Snare on August 6, 2004…Texas honored Michael Young prior to the game for capturing the team’s all-time hits record earlier in the season. He went 1-for-4…Tillman’s allowed run was unearned…Lee struck out two and walked none, raising his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 91-to-6…Lee has historically struggled in Texas, compiling a 7.33 earned run average in eight career starts there…Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had his 29-game home hit streak come to an end after an 0-for-4 game. The team record is 30 games, accomplished by Al Oliver in 1981.