ARLINGTON, Texas—For the first time since they were eliminated by the Texas Rangers in a three-game sweep in last October’s Division Series, the Orioles returned to Globe Life Field on Friday night.
The bats they were missing in that Division Series and in the week before the four-day All-Star break returned as the Orioles beat the Rangers, 9-1, before 36,336.
Anthony Santander hit two home runs, driving in five runs, and Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser each hit two-run homers. The two-run homers by Santander, Rutschman and Cowser came against Nathan Eovaldi (6-4), who had won eight of 10 decisions against the Orioles.
With the win, the Orioles (59-38) maintained a one-game lead in the American League East over the New York Yankees, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1.
It was the second straight win for the Orioles, who went into the break after an unlikely 6-5 win over New York last Sunday. That win broke a five-game losing streak in which they’d scored just four runs.
On Friday night, they scored four runs in the first on Rutschman’s 17th home run and Cowser’s 13th. Santander’s 25th in the fifth made it 6-1. Santander’s three-run home run in the seventh made it 9-1.
Gunnar Henderson had his third career four-hit game. He scored on both of Santander’s home runs, and Rutschman’s.
Corbin Burnes (10-4), who pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, returned to the mound and gave up just one run on two hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out six.
Keegan Akin pitched two hitless innings, and Burch Smith pitched a spotless ninth.