Millwood gives up two homers as Texas takes the series finale

O's starter Kevin Millwood has struggled this year when pitching in the first inning. And, he began today tied for fifth in the Majors with 24 homers allowed. Today, he allowed a homer as he gave up runs again in the first. Millwood gave up two, three-run homers to the middle of the Texas order as the Rangers beat the Birds 6-4 to even the four-game series at two wins each. After a single and walk to start the game, Josh Hamilton came up and hit a homer to left for a quick 3-0 Texas edge. It was his 28th homer and Hamilton went 7 for 14 with two homers and 7 RBI over the final three games of this series. Vladimir Guerrero, batting cleanup, hit a three-run shot in the fifth for a 6-1 lead. It was his 22nd homer. Millwood, who is now 2-14, 5.63, has allowed 26 homers on the year with 19 coming at home. He gave up six hits and six runs over six innings, throwing 80 pitches. Millwood ties his career high with 14 losses and he has given up five runs or more in 11 of his 24 starts on the year. The O's scored on a Nick Markakis RBI single in the 4th, on Luke Scott's two-run homer in the 6th and Ty Wigginton's solo blast in the last of the ninth, his 20th on the year. Scott hit an 0-2 pitch off Tommy Hunter for his 24th of the year and the 100th of his career. His career high is 25 homers from last season. Hunter pitched well and he did so without a walk or a single strikeout over eight innings. Hunter, now 10-2, 3.68, gave up five hits and three runs. The O's ended the homestand with a record of 3-4 and are 44-81 on the year. They are off Monday before beginning a six-game road trip at Chicago on Tuesday night with Jeremy Guthrie (7-12, 3.97) facing Gavin Floyd (8-10, 3.97).