Orioles at Rangers
The Texas Rangers aim to win their fifth straight series at home when they take on the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in the rubber match of their three-game set. The Orioles survived a wild 12-11 affair in the series opener before the Rangers eked out a 2-1 triumph in 12 innings on Wednesday.
Delino DeShields delivered an RBI single with two outs in the 12th to finish it off for Texas, which improved to 21-10 at home. It capped a four-hit performance by DeShields, who has gone 6-for-11 since being recalled from the minors earlier this month. A day after slugging four home runs amid a 15-hit attack, the Orioles were kept in check by six Texas pitchers on Wednesday, forcing extra innings and avoiding a shutout on Richie Martin's solo homer in the ninth before falling to 2-27 when scoring three runs or fewer. David Hess seeks his second win in nine decisions when he takes the mound for Baltimore in the series finale opposite Ariel Jurado.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH David Hess (1-7, 7.36 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Ariel Jurado (2-2, 2.43)
Hess lost his seventh consecutive decision on Saturday as he was battered by San Francisco for seven runs on six hits and three walks over four innings. The 25-year-old Tennessean has surrendered at least five runs in each of his last four starts and has yielded fewer than three in only one of his 11 turns this season - his first of the year on April 1, when he worked 6 1/3 hitless frames at Toronto en route to his lone victory of 2019. Hess lost his only career start against the Rangers on Aug. 3, when he was tagged for seven runs - five earned - in 3 1/3 innings at Texas.
Jurado will be making his fourth start of the year and third in a row, the last two of which have resulted in quality starts. He limited Kansas City to two runs in six frames in a win on Friday, registering a career-high six strikeouts in the process. The 23-year-old Panamanian posted his second major-league victory with five solid frames at home against the Orioles last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 2B Jonathan Villar (thumb), C Pedro Severino (head) and RF DJ Stewart (ankle) each left Wednesday's game.
2. Rangers 3B Asdrubal Cabrera recorded two hits on Wednesday and has gone 8-for-16 during his four-game hitting streak.
3. Baltimore LF Dwight Smith Jr. went 0-for-5 on Wednesday after recording three hits and six RBIs in the series opener.