Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) – Matt Harrison tossed seven innings of one-run ball while Adrian Beltre went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and three more driven in, as the Rangers earned a doubleheader split with a 13-1 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles.
Zach Britton and Jason Berken combined to shut out the Rangers, 5-0, in the opener of the double-dip, but Texas’ offense responded emphatically in the nightcap to improve to 7-1 early in the year.
Harrison (2-0) retired the final 18 hitters he faced and was charged with one run on two hits and a walk. Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly, while Mike Napoli added a solo shot in the victory.
Jake Arrieta (1-1) was tagged for eight runs on six hits and two walks in just 3 1/3 innings for Baltimore, which lost for just the second time in eight games thus far.
Baltimore jumped in front when Adam Jones led off the second inning with a home run, but the game’s momentum changed drastically in the third.
Arrieta set down the side in order in the first two frames, but put the first three hitters on in the third via two walks and Napoli’s base hit. Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton each laced two-run singles prior to Beltre finishing off the six-run inning by sending an 0-2 offering into the left field seats.
Josh Rupe was brought in from the bullpen in the fourth following Napoli’s solo shot and Mitch Moreland’s single. Kinsler greeted the reliever with an RBI double for an 8-1 advantage.
Beltre scored on a Cruz sac fly in the seventh, and Harrison retired Baltimore’s 4-5-6 hitters in order in the bottom half to end his terrific outing.
Having thrown 109 pitches, Harrison was pulled to start the eighth in favor of Pedro Strop, who got out of a bases-loaded jam by fanning Derrek Lee.
The Rangers kept the bats going against Chris Jakubauskas in the ninth, as Beltre doubled home Josh Hamilton and Cruz crushed his fifth home run of the season to account for the final score.
Game Notes
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy left the game early with a strained left oblique…Jones had two of Baltimore’s four hits…Napoli, Hamilton and Michael Young each had two hits in the victory…David Murphy was the only Rangers starter who failed to record a hit.