Grayson Rodriguez earns AL-leading 12th win as Baltimore Orioles beat Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Grayson Rodriguez struck out eight in six innings for his 12th AL win, his best ever, and Cedric Mullins became the eighth Baltimore hitter with 10 home runs this season as the Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 8-4 on Saturday night.

Jordan Westburg and Ryan O’Hearn also hit home runs to give Baltimore a major league total of 156 home runs, 16 more than the New York Yankees.

The Orioles, leaders in the AL East and the first American League team to reach 60 wins, were held to a four-run second against Max Scherzer (1-3). The three-time Cy Young Award winner did not return early in the next inning.

Rodriguez (12-4) retired the side in the sixth inning to end his night. The right-handed pitcher allowed his only three hits and two runs in a four-batter span in the second inning before retiring 13 of the last 14 he faced. He is the first Orioles pitcher since Sidney Ponson in 2003 to win 12 of his first 18 appearances in a season.

Mullins’ bunt single with two on in the second led to the first run, when Scherzer’s throwing error near first base allowed each runner to advance an extra base. No. 9 batter Ramón Urías followed with a two-run single and later scored on Anthony Santander’s single.

Scherzer struck out one batter, gave up two hits and four hits while throwing 53 pitches (34 strikes).

A night after the Orioles drove in all of their runs on four homers in a 9-1 series-opening victory, they led 4-0 before Mullins hit a deep drive off José Ureña in the third inning. Westburg, an All-Star who was in an 0-for-15 slide before his leadoff single in the second, hit a two-run homer in the sixth and O’Hearn had a solo shot in the ninth.

Andrew Knizner had a two-run single in the Texas second. The Rangers didn’t score again until Wyatt Langford broke an 0-for-27 slide with an RBI double in the eighth after Corey Seager walked to extend his on-base streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Heston Kjerstad was activated from the seven-day concussion list and started in right field. He hit a 97-mph fastball to the helmet on July 12. He went 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout. To make room on the active roster, the Orioles sent outfielder Kyle Stowers to Triple-A Norfolk.

Rangers: After LHP Cody Bradford (lower back injury) made his debut for the Rangers’ rookie team on Friday in Arizona, RHPs Tyler Mahle (rehabbing right elbow surgery) and Dane Dunning (right rotator cuff injury) both pitched for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday. … OF Derek Hill was designated for new assignment when INF Justin Foscue was recalled from Round Rock.

NEXT ONE

RHP Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.38 ERA) starts the series finale for Baltimore on Sunday. Left-hander Andrew Heaney (3-10, 3.79) pitches for the Rangers.

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