PELTY DELIVERS AS ORIOLES TOP RANGERS 4-2 ON OPENING DAY
Eternal Baseball Press
ARLINGTON – Baltimore’s Barney Pelty kept Texas off-balance all day and the Orioles rode a Ken Williams two-run single for a 4-2 win over the Rangers.
Baltimore threatened immediately, putting two runners on in the first inning, but Texas starter Kevin Brown limited the damage to just one run on first baseman Eddie Murray’s RBI single. The Rangers stuck back in the bottom of the first, when left Fielder Rusty Greer shot a double to the right/center field gap to score Josh Hamilton with the tying run.
Hamilton’s fourth inning double plated Toby Harrah and staked Texas to a 2-1 lead, but Eddie Murray’s line drive solo homer leading off the sixth inning brought Baltimore even at 2-2. Later in the sixth, Chris Hoiles singled, and Brian Roberts’ bloop double were cause for concern. Ken Williams and Kevin Brown faced off in an intense nine-pitch at-bat that Williams finally won, lifting a sinker to centerfield to score two runs and put the Orioles ahead to stay 4-2.
Pelty (1-0) earned the win for the Orioles (7.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) while Kevin Brown (0-1) took the loss (7.2 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) for the Rangers. Zack Britton earned his first hold for Baltimore, and Darren O’Day struck out Juan Gonzalez with a runner on for the save.
Baltimore will try to make it two straight wins tomorrow night, sending right-hander Harry Howell to the mound to face Texas right-hander Yu Darvish. First pitch from Globe Life Park is at 7:05 PM CST.
Photo credit: Texas Rangers Stadium by Drew Tarvin
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