masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe seventh inning was pivotal for the second night in a row. This time, just not for the Orioles. The Rangers scored six runs in the last of the seventh to come from 4-2 down and beat the Orioles 8-4 tonight.
The Rangers have taken two of the first three in this series at Globe Life Park to improve to 7-6 as the Orioles fall to 8-3 for the season, 3-3 on this road trip.
Yovani Gallardo took the mound in the seventh leading by two at 96 pitches and walked No. 9 hitter Brett Nicholas. A double…

The seventh inning was pivotal for the second night in a row. This time, just not for the Orioles. The Rangers scored six runs in the last of the seventh to come from 4-2 down and beat the Orioles 8-4 tonight.

The Rangers have taken two of the first three in this series at Globe Life Park to improve to 7-6 as the Orioles fall to 8-3 for the season, 3-3 on this road trip.

gallardo-pitching-white-sidebar.jpgYovani Gallardo took the mound in the seventh leading by two at 96 pitches and walked No. 9 hitter Brett Nicholas. A double by Delino DeShields followed to put runners on second and third as T.J. McFarland came on. Chris Davis made a diving stop on a grounder to first by Nomar Mazara, but McFarland was late covering the bag as a run scored on the infield hit. Prince Fielder then grounded to Davis, who threw home late after stepping on the bag for the out as the tie run scored and it was 4-4.

The inning unraveled further when Mitch Moreland made it 5-4 Texas with an RBI double and Rougned Odor singled to right to score two more runs. Mark Trumbo misplayed the ball, it got by him and Odor charged to third, where he scored on an Elvis Andrus single for an 8-4 lead.

A night after the Orioles hit four homers during a nine-run seventh, Texas scored six runs in the inning to come from behind.

Earlier, Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Davis hit solo homers. After hitting five homers in the last three innings last night, the three tonight came in the first five frames. At that point, the Orioles had hit eight homers over their last eight innings in Texas.

They have hit 23 homers on the year, eight in this series and 15 in the six games on the road trip. This was the fourth time in 2016 the O’s hit three or more homers in a game.

Batting second, Machado homered in the first for a 1-0 lead. He hit No. 4 on a 2-2 pitch from Texas starter Colby Lewis. The Rangers tied it in the last of the inning when DeShields led off with a double and later scored on Adrian Beltre’s sac fly.

Jones hit a blast in the third for his first of 2016. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the homer traveled 460 feet, making it the longest of Jones’ career. Davis hit No. 5 off an 87 mph fastball in the fifth and it went just over the right-field wall. Later in that inning, a Pedro Alvarez RBI single – his first O’s RBI – made it 4-1. Texas pushed across a run in the fifth to make it 4-2.

Gallardo went six innings plus the two batters, allowing nine hits and four runs, throwing 105 pitches. McFarland, who allowed three runs in 1/3 of an inning, took the loss. O’s starting pitchers have an ERA of 7.05 over the last seven games.

In the series and road trip finale on Sunday afternoon, Mike Wright (1-0, 7.20 ERA) pitches against left-hander Derek Holland (1-0, 2.31 ERA).