46-58 - Rangers swept by O’s following 6-3 series finale loss

The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Baltimore Orioles scored six runs.

Some folks expected the Mariners to be in the playoff mix this season and not many anticipated the Orioles being in the fight but Seattle currently occupies one of the dozens of wild card spots* (*possibly not a dozen, but there are a lot of them now) and Baltimore is right on the outside looking in within a game or two of a spot.

Since July 4, less than a month’s time by a day, the Rangers have played the Baltimore and Seattle 13 times combined and they have lost all 13 of those games including today as Texas was swept for the second consecutive series by the Orioles to drop to a season-worst 12 games below .500.

Not many were ready to believe the Rangers would be playoff contenders in 2022, and they sure aren’t, but boy have they impacted the race.

Player of the Game: Martin Perez usually isn’t a strikeout-heavy pitcher but he was today. Those Ks made him inefficient as he only made it through six innings but during those six innings he struck out a career-high nine batters while giving up just one run to drop his season ERA back below 2.50 (2.47).

If the Rangers weren’t in the business of handing out wins to help stir the imagination of moribund franchises, perhaps they would have scored enough to get Perez a win.

Up Next: The gauntlet continues with the Rangers welcoming the White Sox to Arlington for a four-game series. In the opener, LHP Cole Ragans is expected to make his MLB debut for Texas against RHP Johnny Cueto.

Thursday night’s first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT.