Rangers at Orioles
The Texas Rangers opened their current seven-game road trip in impressive fashion by thumping the New York Yankees, but the good vibes soon diminished as their offense quickly dried up. The Rangers will look to avoid falling a season-worst six games under .500 when they play the first of four at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.
Texas was in position to hand New York its first home series loss since mid-April before turning in a pair of feeble performances in the final two games of the series. The Rangers needed a ninth-inning homer in each game to avoid a shutout and struck out 13 times in both contests to make it a club-record 73 games with at least 10 whiffs. The Orioles, closing in on their second straight 100-loss season, finished 3-5 on an eight-game road trip after splitting a doubleheader with Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Anthony Santander has five homers and 12 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak for Baltimore, which has dropped four of five entering the seven-game homestand.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Kolby Allard (3-0, 4.33 ERA) vs. Orioles LH John Means (10-9, 3.55)
Allard came within one out of his second straight quality start, but he earned the victory by holding Seattle to two runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings to remain undefeated in five outings this season. The former first-round draft pick had his longest outing in his previous turn, striking out a season-high eight and blanking the Chicago White Sox on six hits over 6 1/3 innings. Allard is averaging one strikeout per inning and has surrendered only one homer over his five starts.
Means answered a four-start losing streak by winning back-to-back outings in impressive fashion, beating the Kansas City Royals last time out by allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings. The 26-year-old rookie also went seven innings in his previous turn, striking out seven and holding Tampa Bay to one run and five hits over seven innings. Means did not factor in the decision in his lone start against the Rangers despite limiting them to one run and four hits over six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers OF Danny Santana is 6-for-42 with 21 strikeouts over his last 11 games.
2. Orioles 2B Jonathan Villar has hit safely in six of his last seven games and has multiple hits in 10 of 19.
3. Rangers RF Nomar Mazara sat out the past two games due to tightness in his left oblique.