Texas rookie Wyatt Langford became the first player in the major leagues this season to hit for the cycle. The Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-2 on Sunday night, ending a six-game losing streak.
Derek Hill hit two home runs, and Andrew Heaney struck out 10 batters over seven innings for the Rangers, who had lost the first three games of the series and were now nine games under .500. The defending World Series champions never trailed in the game, scoring multiple runs in the second, fourth, fifth, and eighth innings.
Langford tripled in the fourth inning, doubled in the fifth, and singled in the sixth. Then, in the eighth inning, the 22-year-old outfielder hit a three-run home run down the left-field line to extend the Rangers’ lead to 11-2.
This game marked Langford’s first career four-hit game. He was drafted by the Rangers last year as the fourth overall pick and quickly moved up to the majors, making the opening-day roster this season.
Cole Irvin (6-5) pitched 3 2/3 innings for the Orioles, giving up five runs. Irvin had a strong start to the season but has struggled recently, failing to complete five innings in his last three starts. The Baltimore pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, losing Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells for the season.
Hill started the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning. The Orioles responded with Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI single, but the Rangers extended their lead in the fourth inning with RBI singles from Nathaniel Lowe, Andrew Knizner, and Josh Smith.
