41-56 - Rangers close first half with odious series loss to Orioles

Ronald Guzman hit a first inning grand slam after Orioles’ emergency starter Miguel Castro threw nearly 30 first inning pitches, and, after needing a miracle Ryan Rua home run to barely beat Baltimore in the first game in this series — and then getting shutout in a 1-0 loss last night — one could finally begin to grasp just what these 69-losses-before-the-All-Star-break Orioles were all about.

And then the Orioles scored the next six runs, all off arguably the Rangers’ best starter in Mike Minor, coming in only 2 ²⁄₃ innings of work, with an error contributing to one of the runs being unearned.

Joke’s on the Rangers, I guess. Texas takes off for their mid-year vacation in the most 2018-y way possible, fresh off a series loss to Baltimore.

Player of the Game: Shin-Soo Choo’s streak is now at 51 games after he yet again drew a walk to lead the game off. Choo isn’t soley The Streak, however, as he added another walk, a single, a solo home run, and scored two runs on the afternoon as he next grabs a train to DC to become our worthy representation in the All-Star game.

Up Next: The Rangers gloriously don’t make us watch them play another baseball game until this coming Friday as baseball takes its midseason rest. The next time Texas takes the field it will be July 20 at home with Martin Perez already announced as the scheduled starter against Cleveland.