masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgFor the Orioles tonight, the combination of a few missed chances on offense and one rough half inning on the mound led to a defeat at Texas.
The Rangers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth – all charged to starter Chris Tillman – and beat the Orioles 6-3 to start a four-game series at Globe Life Park.
The Orioles have lost back-to-back games after a 7-0 start. They have lost five in a row versus Texas. The Rangers improved to 6-5.
The Orioles led 3-1 against lefty Cole Hamels heading to…

For the Orioles tonight, the combination of a few missed chances on offense and one rough half inning on the mound led to a defeat at Texas.

The Rangers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth – all charged to starter Chris Tillman – and beat the Orioles 6-3 to start a four-game series at Globe Life Park.

The Orioles have lost back-to-back games after a 7-0 start. They have lost five in a row versus Texas. The Rangers improved to 6-5.

The Orioles led 3-1 against lefty Cole Hamels heading to the bottom of the sixth. Nomar Mazara led off with a double and one out later went to third on Adrian Beltre’s single. Mitch Moreland’s bloop RBI double down the left field line made the O’s lead 3-2 and it became tied on Ian Desmond’s infield single that first baseman Chris Davis could not make a play on. Rougned Odor followed those soft hits with a liner to left for a two-run double and a 5-3 lead, ending Tillman’s night. He entered that half inning ahead by two runs and pitching a four-hitter. Mychal Givens entered and was greeted by an Elvis Andrus RBI single for a 6-3 lead.

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Tillman became the eighth O’s starter in nine games to pitch 5 1/3 or fewer innings. He allowed nine hits and six runs, the most runs allowed by an O’s starter in 2016.

Over the last five games, Orioles starters have allowed 21 earned runs over 25 innings for an ERA of 7.56.

In the O’s third, two straight doubles by Nolan Reimold and Joey Rickard provided the O’s a 1-0 lead. It got tied on a bloop RBI single to center by Mazara in the bottom of that inning.

Mark Trumbo’s solo homer to right-center in the fourth gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead. It was No. 3 for Trumbo. The O’s had runners at second and third with no outs in the fifth but could not score. J.J. Hardy’s RBI single in the sixth made it 3-1 but that inning the O’s had first and third with one out and Jonathan Schoop hit into a double play. The lead at that point was two runs but it would not last.

The Orioles play at Texas tomorrow night in the second game of this series. Right-hander Vance Worley (0-0, 3.86 ERA) pitches against left-hander Martin Perez (0-1, 3.65 ERA).