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O's belt five homers in twinbill opener, hang on to beat Rangers

May 10, 2012 - 11:09 PM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Baltimore belted five home runs to back 7 2/3 strong innings from Wei-Yin Chen, then survived a late scare to take a 6-5 decision over Texas in the opener of a twinbill from Camden Yards.

Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis slugged first-inning homers for the Orioles, who had dropped the first two of this four-game set before a Wednesday rainout.

Adam Jones and Wilson Betemit added blasts as Chen (3-0) scattered six hits and two runs while fanning five. Jim Johnson survived a shaky final inning to post his ninth save.

David Murphy belted a three-run shot in the ninth for the Rangers, who scored a combined 24 runs in those two series-opening victories. Yorvit Torrealba added three hits, including two doubles, and drove in a run.

Despite striking out a career-best 12 batters, Colby Lewis (3-2) served up all five longballs -- also a career high -- part of a five-hit, six-run outing over seven full frames.

The second game is slated to begin at 7:35 p.m. (et).

Chen was lifted after putting runners on the corners with two out in the eighth. Luis Ayala allowed an infield hit to Adrian Beltre which made it 6-2, but fanned Michael Young swinging to end the threat.

Still, the Rangers kept coming. In the ninth, Nelson Cruz singled and Torrealba doubled, and Johnson came on. He induced a fly out from pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland but Murphy launched a three-run shot to right-center for a 6-5 game.

Ian Kinsler grounded out and Elvis Andrus fanned looking to end the game.

Baltimore jolted Lewis with back-to-back-to-back home runs in its first turn at the plate.

Flaherty's first major-league homer cleared the scoreboard in right, Hardy launched one deep into the seats in left for a 2-0 game, then Markakis followed with an arcing shot off the foul pole in right.

Chen loaded the bases in the third with one out on a double, walk and single, but got out of the jam after Andrus grounded out and Josh Hamilton flied out.

Texas picked up a run in the fourth as Young doubled with one down and scored on a two-out hit by Torrealba.

Baltimore got the tally back on Jones' leadoff homer in the seventh. Matt Wieters followed with a walk, and it was 6-1 as Betemit slammed one to the seats in right center.

Game Notes

Milwaukee was the last club to homer in its first three at-bats, doing so on September 9, 2007, in a 10-5 win at Cincinnati...Rickie Weeks, Hardy and Ryan Braun turned the trick against Red starter Phil Dumatrait...Baltimore became the first American League team to accomplish the feat...The victory snapped the O's seven-game losing streak to the Rangers, since the opener of a doubleheader at home on April 9, 2011.