Hamels dominates Orioles, Choo homers in Texas win
ARLINGTON, Texas—Texas Rangers acquired lefty ace Cole Hamels at the July 31 trade deadline not so much for this year’s pennant push but for the threeplus years left on his contract.
It’s an added benefit to the Rangers that he’s helping to further push the Orioles out of pennant contention.
Of course, the Orioles are doing a solid job of imploding without any help from outsiders.
Hamels threw eight innings of two-hit ball in the Rangers’ 4-1 victory before an announced 28,337 at Globe Life Park—marking the Orioles’ eighth loss in their past nine games. They have scored three or fewer runs in all eight losses.
The Orioles (63-65) are now 31/2 games behind the Rangers (66-61) for the American League’s second wild card and have two more to play in Texas before heading home from what has the appearance of being a season-snuffing road trip. They are currently 1-4 in this stretch to Kansas City and Texas.
In his fifth start—and longest— as a Ranger, Hamels dominated a swing-happy Orioles lineup, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one run on a bases-loaded walk to Chris Davis in the third inning that gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
After that, Hamels retired 14 straight before walking Manny Machado in the eighth. Hamels (8-8) allowed just two hits and walked four in the game while picking up his 30th 10-strikeout performance of his career and first with Texas. It also was his first win against the Orioles, but just his third start, after spending his career exclusively in the National League before this month.
Hamels’ counterpart, Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman, pitched into the seventh but wasn’t particularly crisp, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk in 62/3 innings.
Gausman (2-6) got into trouble in the second, but right fielder Dariel Alvarez, in his big league debut, made his presence known immediately.
Considered to have the best throwing arm among outfielders throughout the organization— including a stronger one than Gold Glove center fielder Adam Jones—Alvarez showed it off in the inning.
With runners on the corners and no outs, Elvis Andrus hit a sinking liner to right that Alvarez caught. In one motion, the 26-year-old unleashed a perfect
one-hop throw to catcher Matt Wieters, who tagged Adrian Beltre to complete the double play.
The Orioles entered the night tied with the Minnesota Twins for most outfield assists in the majors and then added two more, bringing their total to 39. Jones threw out Prince Fielder trying for a double in the fourth.
It came directly after Gausman had allowed his first run, a solo homer to right by Shin-Soo Choo that stayed just fair.
The Rangers tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a solo homer by catcher Chris Gimenez, his fourth of the season and fourth in his past 11 games. They picked up their third run on an RBI force out by Choo, who hustled to first to beat out a potential inning-ending double play.
The Rangers’ final run came in the seventh on an RBI triple by rookie Delino DeShields, the son of the former Oriole.
Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson allowed an infield hit, but pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27th save.
Texas is now 17-9 since trading for Hamels—at a time when the Rangers were 49-52 and an afterthought in the AL pennant race. The Orioles were 51-50 and are now 12-15 since the July 31 trade deadline.