Rangers at Orioles
The Texas Rangers own the best record in the majors thanks in part to outfielder Josh Hamilton, who matched a major league record with four home runs on Tuesday and set an American League mark with 18 total bases in a 5-for-5 performance. The Baltimore Orioles, who owned the top record in the majors after winning their fifth straight on Sunday, have been trounced by a combined score of 24-6 in the first two games against the Rangers.
Hamilton leads the majors in home runs (14) and RBIs (36), and is batting .406, tops in the AL. The Orioles have surrendered five of those home runs and 10 RBIs in the first two games of the series. Baltimore had allowed an average of 2.2 runs in the 13 games prior to the Rangers showing up at Camden Yards. The one highlight for the Orioles has been J.J. Hardy, who is 10-for-16 with three homers over the last three games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSSW (Texas), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Colby Lewis (3-1, 2.97 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (2-0, 2.76 ERA)
Lewis had allowed two runs or less in each of his first five starts but was lit up for six runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings at Cleveland last weekend. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA in his career against Baltimore. Hardy is 3-for-9 with a home run off Lewis while Mark Reynolds is 3-for-6 with a pair of home runs off the veteran.
Chen has made a successful conversion to the major leagues but is coming off his toughest outing - a five-inning effort at Boston last week in which he allowed a season-high three earned runs. The Japanese rookie has never faced Hamilton but has held left-handed batters to a .250 average without a home run and only one extra-base hit.
WALK-OFFS:
1. Elvis Andrus was on base for each of Hamilton’s home runs on Tuesday and has reached safely in 26 straight games.
2. Texas 3B Adrian Beltre (hamstring) has started at designated hitter in each of the first two games of the series.
3. The Orioles will likely promote LH Dana Eveland to start on Friday, taking the place of Tommy Hunter, who was optioned to the minors on Monday.