BALTIMORE _ The Orioles started July with six losses in nine games. While they hoped to refresh during the All-Star break, the downfall continued with a three-game series sweep to the Chicago Cubs last weekend.
But manager Buck Showalter maintained that the shortcomings hadn't overwhelmed his team, instead taking an incremental approach to trying to win each game. The playoffs are months away, so he said the current standings have little meaning to him.
That mindset worked through a four-game series with the Texas Rangers. The Orioles' 9-7 win Thursday night, fueled by a powerful offense in the fifth and sixth innings, sealed the sweep.
After scoring 22 runs in the previous two games _ a burst missing when they had a combined 11 in three losses to the Cubs _ the Orioles wanted to continue the momentum against Rangers ace Cole Hamels.
The Orioles found a rhythm late in his outing, forcing the Rangers to turn to the bullpen after 5 1/3 innings. Hamels allowed nine hits and seven runs, striking out three and walking two.
Center fielder Adam Jones started scoring during the fifth inning with a two-run home run, scoring right fielder Joey Rickard who led off with a single. After long flyouts from third baseman Manny Machado and second baseman Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo took Hamels' fastball deep to center, cutting the Orioles' deficit to 5-4.
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In the sixth, Hamels surrendered a series of one-out singles, the latter from Rickard to tie the game at 5, capping his shortest outing since June 26. Jones then doubled and Schoop singled to extend the lead to three.
Wade Miley lived on the edge all game long, allowing multiple base runners in four of his five innings but not truly being hurt by it until the end of his outing.
He walked right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo with one out in the first inning and saw him score on a single by third baseman Adrian Beltre after stealing second and taking third on a throwing error by catcher Welington Castillo.
Texas ran into two outs on the bases _ one on a botched sacrifice bunt and a second when Delino Deshields was picked off on a stolen base attempt _ in the third inning before they scored a run on a two-out double by center fielder Carlos Gomez in the fourth.
Things unraveled for Miley in the fifth when, with two outs and a man on first, he allowed a single to Beltre and a three-run home run to first baseman Mike Napoli.
Miley left having allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings, but was taken off the hook for a loss by the team's immediate comeback.
Schoop's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth started the Orioles' scoring and ended Hamels' scoreless streak.
Before the second baseman sent the 2-0 pitch into the left-center-field stands, Hamels hadn't allowed a run in 24 innings. He entered Thursday with two straight scoreless starts. An opponent hadn't crossed the plate against him since the Chicago White Sox managed two runs in the first inning July 1.
The stretch was the longest active one in the major leagues.
The Rangers ace, however, limited his lapses as the Orioles failed to capitalize on a scoring opportunity later in the inning.
Trumbo walked after Schoop's home run. Two batters later, Hamels hit left fielder Trey Mancini with a pitch. Castillo drew a four-pitch walk, leading the Rangers to converse on the mound.
But Ruben Tejada didn't force Hamels to work through the jam for long. With the bases loaded, he grounded out on the first pitch to leave the Orioles trailing, 2-1.
