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Metcalf, Wilkerson help Rangers rally past Orioles

Aug 23, 2007 - 5:34 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Texas Rangers crossed the plate 21 fewer times than in the opener of their doubleheader, but it was still enough to get the job done.

Rookie Travis Metcalf had four RBI and Brad Wilkerson drove in the go-ahead run as the Rangers posted a 9-7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, completing a sweep of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Michael Young had three hits and plated an insurance run and Nelson Cruz had two hits and scored twice for Texas, which won by just two runs after crushing Baltimore, 30-3, in the first game of the twinbill.

The Rangers scored a total of 39 runs in the doubleheader, eclipsing the previous American League mark of 36 set by the Detroit Tigers on August 14, 1937 against the St. Louis Browns.

Texas, which posted franchise highs in runs and hits (29) in the first game, has won two straight road contests after dropping seven of its previous eight away from home.

"We kept coming back," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "After the first game, we came in the clubhouse and said, 'We've got another game to go, so you've got to stay up.' We're going to be the kind of team that's going to swing and miss a lot. For two games here in Baltimore, we still swung and missed a little bit, but we did some damage."

Unlike the earlier rout, which saw it score 30 unanswered runs, Texas had to rally after surrendering the lead in the nightcap.

The Rangers trailed, 7-6, with one out in the eighth before Cruz singled and Gerald Laird walked to put runners on first and second. Metcalf, who belted a grand slam in the opener, hit a run-scoring single to right field off rookie reliever Jim Hoey (1-1) to knot the game.

After Ian Kinsler walked to load the bases, Wilkerson lofted a fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly, giving Texas an 8-7 lead.

"It's been a long day today," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley, who earlier in the day was given a contract extension to manage the club in 2008 but watched his team get demolished by a combined score of 39-10.

Young then hit an RBI single to right to double the advantage.

"A very strange day," Kinsler said. "I don't know what happened. It was a freak thing today. We had guys hitting the ball out of the yard left and right, getting base hits everywhere. It seemed like nothing could go wrong."

Baltimore, which trailed on three occasions earlier in the contest, staged a rally of its own in the seventh.

With the Orioles trailing, 6-5, Miguel Tejada and Kevin Millar led off with walks and advanced on a flyout to center field. Melvin Mora was walked intentionally to load the bases and, after pinch hitter J.R. House struck out, Jay Payton hit a two-run single into left field off reliever Joaquin Benoit (6-3) on a 3-2 offering to give Baltimore its first lead.

"The second game was a tough one to lose because we battled," said Millar, who tied Ken Singleton's club record of reaching base in 49 straight games.

Despite surrendering the advantage, Benoit picked up the victory thanks to Texas' late rally. C.J. Wilson worked around a one-out single in the ninth inning for his seventh save in eight opportunities.

After watching Baltimore run out to a 3-0 lead in the first game of the evening, the Rangers decided to try it for themselves in this one.

With runners on first and second and one out in the top of the second, Cruz hit a run-scoring single to right field to get Texas on the board. Two batters later, Metcalf hit a two-run double to center off Orioles rookie starter Garrett Olson to open a 3-0 advantage.

The Orioles tied the game in the third on a leadoff homer by Payton and a two-run shot by Nick Markakis later in the frame off starter John Rheinecker. But Texas moved back in front on the fourth as Gerald Laird hit an RBI single and Metcalf added a sacrifice fly.

Mora drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning to cut the Orioles' deficit to 5-4, before Marlon Byrd - who hit a grand slam in the first game - lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth to push the lead back to two.

Mora had a run-scoring single in the fifth to draw Baltimore within 6-5.