(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers hope C.J. Wilson can get them back in the win column this evening, as they continue their four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Wilson will be shooting for a fifth straight victory tonight, while the Rangers will be looking to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak of their own after dropping the opener of this set on Thursday.
Brian Roberts hit a two-run double in Baltimore's four-run seventh inning, and Brian Matusz silenced the Rangers over eight frames en route to a 4-0 win. Corey Patterson had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who won for only the second time in their last six tries.
Matusz (5-12) had his best outing of the season, yielding just five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. The young lefty had lasted at least seven frames only once in his previous 11 starts.
"[Texas has] a tough lineup, so for me I wanted to be sure I was prepared and it worked," Matusz said. "It's a good feeling."
Colby Lewis (9-10) was charged with four runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings to drop his fifth straight decision over a six-start span, though Texas has scored a total of seven runs in those games.
"We should feel fortunate the other teams in the West aren't playing well right now," Lewis said. "We need to play a little bit better."
The Rangers, who still lead the LA Angels of Anaheim by seven games in the AL West, have now lost six straight on the road.
Hoping to buck that trend this evening will be Wilson, who is unbeaten in his last six starts. Wilson earned the win on Sunday against Boston with a terrific effort, as he allowed one run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings to improve to 11-5 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 3.19.
"It was more on my command. I didn't have great stuff. I was able to put my stuff where I needed it to be, make use of the corners well," said Wilson, who also struck out eight in the win. "I had a better time pitching against them at their place a couple weeks ago."
Wilson was beaten by the Orioles back on July 11, and is 1-3 lifetime against them with a 7.15 ERA in 18 appearances. However, just two of those outings have been starts.
Baltimore, meanwhile, will turn to 24-year-old right-hander Jake Arrieta, who is 4-4 with a 5.23 ERA in his rookie campaign. Arrieta was saddled with the loss on Sunday against Tampa Bay, as he allowed three runs and six hits in six innings of a 3-2 loss. He settled in after a 30-pitch third inning, at one point retiring 10 of 11 batters.
"Later in the game, I really trusted my fastball ... was aggressive with [it] and used it early and late in the count, [which is] something I really didn't do a good job of early in the game," Arrieta said. "But I got back to it as I got a little more comfortable."
Arrieta beat Wilson and the Rangers in that July 11 encounter, holding the high-powered Rangers to just a run in 6 1/3 frames.
Baltimore has won seven of its last nine meetings with the Rangers.