Anthony Santander hit two home runs and drove in five runs in a game where the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers 9-1. Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser had already hit two-run homers early in the game, giving the Orioles a 4-0 lead by the time All-Star pitcher Corbin Burnes threw his first pitch.
Manager Brandon Hyde praised the early lead, saying, “To put up four runs in the first with Corbin Burnes on the mound, you feel good about that.” Burnes, coming off his All-Star Game start, pitched six innings, allowing just one run and striking out six, though he struggled with control, walking four batters.
On the other side, Nathan Eovaldi had a tough outing for Texas, giving up six runs on three homers in five innings. He admitted, “I didn’t really execute a lot of my pitches tonight very well.”
Santander, who was also an All-Star, hit his 25th home run of the season in the fifth inning and added a three-run homer in the seventh. Despite a homer from Nathaniel Lowe, Texas couldn’t overcome Baltimore’s early offensive barrage.