Kelvin Gutierrez capped a three-run seventh inning with a two-run home run and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 3-2 Saturday night.
The seventh-inning rally broke up a scoreless game and gave the Orioles (50-105) a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Jose Trevino and Nathaniel Lowe had solo home runs for the Rangers (56-99).
Rangers right-hander Jordan Lyles (9-13) allowed all three runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Chris Ellis pitched the first three innings for the Orioles, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two.
Marcos Diplan took over for Baltimore in the fourth and allowed two hits and two walks in two innings.
The Orioles had early chances but hit into double plays in each of the first three innings, most notably in the third, when Gutierrez failed to slide in attempting to score on a flyout to center by Ryan Mountcastle.
The Orioles had another chance in the sixth, when Nick Ciuffo led off with a double and took third on a groundout. Lyles responded by striking out Mountcastle and Austin Hays to end the threat.
Baltimore's Joey Krehbiel pitched a perfect sixth and was replaced by Brooks Kriske after allowing a two-out walk to Yonny Hernandez in the seventh. Kriske (2-1) ended the inning with a strikeout after Hernandez stole second.
Lyles walked Trey Mancini with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Pat Valaika stroked an RBI double to left, and Gutierrez hit his second homer of the season with two out, spelling the end of the night for Lyles in favor of right-hander Dennis Santana.
Trevino led off the top of the eighth with his fourth home run of the season.
Dillon Tate replaced Kriske with two out in the eighth, and Tate allowed Lowe's 17th homer of the season to open the ninth. Lowe has homered in two straight games.
Tate allowed a two-out walk before completing his third save of the season.
The Orioles recalled right-hander Spenser Watkins from Triple-A Norfolk and put right-hander Tyler Wells (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list.
--Field Level Media
Texas | Baltimore | |
Jordan Lyles | Player | Chris Ellis |
Loss | W/L | No Decision |
6.2 | IP | 3.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 2 |
7 | Hits | 2 |
4.05 | ERA | 0.00 |
Texas | Baltimore | |
Jose Trevino | Player | Kelvin Gutierrez |
3 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
1 | HR | 1 |
6 | TB | 5 |
1.000 | Avg | .667 |