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Orioles-Rangers Preview

May 20, 2010 - 4:54 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (13-27) at Texas (22-18), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Josh Hamilton seems to be embracing his new role as the Texas Rangers' No. 5 hitter.

Coming off what should have been a two-homer game, Hamilton looks to continue his recent success as the Rangers conclude a two-game series with the lowly Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Texas (23-18) is coming off its ninth victory in 10 home games, winning the opener of this series 4-3 on Wednesday night when Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.

If the umpires had reviewed Hamilton's opposite-field shot in the fourth, the Rangers may not have needed any such theatrics. Hamilton, who already homered in the second, cleared the 14-foot fence in left and the ball ricocheted back into play.

However, second base umpire Doug Eddings signaled the ball was still in play and Hamilton was limited to a double. The umpires didn't come together as a group or look at the television replay.

"It should have been a home run," crew chief Dana DeMuth said after watching a postgame replay.

Hamilton had been slumping and was held out of the lineup Monday night in a 4-3 win over Los Angeles. Hamilton, who hit in the third spot in the order 35 times in his first 36 starts, has hit fifth in two games since then, going 4 for 8 following a three-game stretch in which he had one hit and struck out nine times in 13 at-bats.

The slugger is 6 for 15 in his last three home games against the Orioles (13-28).

Scott Feldman (1-4, 5.89 ERA), set to take the mound for Texas, has posted a 2.55 ERA in winning all three of his starts versus Baltimore.

Feldman, however, is 0-4 with a 7.42 ERA in his last six starts. The right-hander gave up five runs and nine hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday.

The Orioles will counter with Brian Matusz (2-3, 4.18), who is coming off his best start of the season, striking out six in seven shutout innings before the bullpen blew his chance for a win in an 8-2 loss to Cleveland on Saturday night.

"(Matusz is) going to give you what he's got all the time," manager Dave Trembley told the Orioles' official website. "What he does have is a very good knack for coming up with the big pitch when he has to. He doesn't give in."

The 23-year-old left-hander had a 5.74 ERA in losing his previous three starts.

Matusz earned a win his only outing against the Rangers, surrendering four runs in seven innings of a 5-4 victory Sept. 5.

Baltimore has been giving its pitchers little support, scoring three runs or fewer in four of its last five games and losing all four of those contests.

Shortstop Cesar Izturis, though, was a bright spot Wednesday, snapping out of a 4-for-41 slump with three hits and driving in all three runs for the Orioles. Izturis went 1 for 16 in his previous five games at Texas.