Jul 5, 2008 10:15 pm US/Eastern
Rangers 5, Orioles 3
BALTIMORE (AP) ―
Ian Kinsler homered, German Duran and Michael Young had three hits apiece, and the Texas Rangers used a sharp pitching performance by substitute starter Scott Feldman to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Saturday night.
Moved up in the rotation after Eric Hurley was scratched with a hamstring injury, Feldman (3-3) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander allowed three runs and three hits in the first, then blanked the Orioles on two hits until his departure.
He left with a 4-3 lead, and the bullpen preserved the advantage. Feldman has two wins in six days after going eight consecutive starts without one.
Kinsler, who came into the game with an AL-leading .325 batting average, went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. His two-run homer off Lance Cormier (1-3) in the sixth put the Rangers ahead 4-3.
Texas added an eighth-inning run on a double-play grounder by Young, and C.J. Wilson struck out the side in the ninth for his 20th save in 22 tries.
Nick Markakis had two hits and two RBIs for the Orioles, who fell to 5-28 when scoring three runs or fewer. Brian Burres allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, the sixth time in seven starts he failed to go six innings.
The Rangers' first two batters produced a run when Kinsler doubled and scored on a single by Young. Josh Hamilton followed with a single, and Texas loaded the bases with two outs before Chris Davis fouled out.
Baltimore fared even better in the bottom half. Brian Roberts and Jay Payton singled and Markakis hit a two-run double before Feldman got the first out. Kevin Millar then walked and Melvin Mora hit a sacrifice fly.
Duran doubled and scored on a single by Hamilton in the second, but Texas stranded a runner in scoring position in the next two innings. In the fifth, Mora made two sensational plays at third base, leaping to snare a rising liner hit by Milton Bradley before diving to his right to grab a line drive from Brandon Boggs.
In the sixth, however, Duran hit a two-out double to chase Burres. Cormier entered, and Kinsler hit a 3-1 pitch into the left-field seats. It was his 14th home run, the fourth during his 17-game run.
Baltimore got runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh before Frank Francisco retired Aubrey Huff on a grounder.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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