O's game blog: Looking for a win against Texas

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

September 07, 2019, 8:20am

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The Orioles have lost by scores of 3-1 and 7-6 the last two nights against Texas. Tonight they host the Rangers in the third of the four-game series and seven-game homestand. The Orioles have lost three in a row and six of their last seven games. All seven games were decided by two runs or one.

The Orioles offense, which had produced one run in the last two games, broke out last night for six runs, 10 hits and three home runs. Trey Mancini hit No. 30, a solo shot. Richie Martin hit a three-run homer and Anthony Santander's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Orioles a 6-4 lead. Santander drilled No. 18 a distance of 435 feet to center field.

Santander's homer extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games, and he's batting .391 (18-for-46) during this stretch. During the streak he has three doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs. His hitting streak is the longest by an Oriole this season. Entering play, his 10-game streak ranked as the longest active streak in the American League and tied for the third-longest active streak in the majors this season.

Mancini's first-inning homer ended a run of 73 at-bats and 87 plate appearances since Aug. 12 without a longball. He's hitting .330 (38-for-115) with 10 home runs and 13 RBIs in the first inning this season.

Renato NÃºÃ±ez went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles Friday night, recording his 35th multi-hit game, the fourth-most on the team. NÃºÃ±ez is batting .354 (17-for-48) his last 14 games.

Hanser Alberto went 1-for-4 with a double and a sac bunt. Alberto is batting .419 (18-for-43) his last 11 games with three doubles and two homers. He has hit safely in all five games this year against Texas, going 10-for-24. The Rangers are the team that originally signed Alberto out of the Dominican Republic in November 2009.

Right-hander Aaron Brooks (4-7, 5.81 ERA) gets the start tonight for the Orioles. It's his 26th game and 17th start between the Orioles and the Athletics. In his first seven O's games, he went 0-4 with a 9.22 ERA and .345 average against. In his past three games, he is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA and .246 average against. Brooks allowed 2.3 homers per nine innings in those first seven games and 0.6 per nine the last three, giving up just one homer over 15 1/3 innings.

Bowie advances: Double-A Bowie crushed Harrisburg today 12-5 to win that Eastern League playoff series three games to one. Preston Palmeiro homered and had four RBIs.
Cedric Mullins went 5-for-6 with a homer. The Baysox now will play in the EL Championship Series for the second time in team history. They won the championship in 2015. On Tuesday night, Trenton, a Yankees affiliate, hosts Bowie in Game 1 of a best of five.