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Orioles pay a visit to Arlington

Jul 4, 2011 - 2:46 PM (Sports Network) - Righty Colby Lewis aims for his first career win over Baltimore tonight when the Texas Rangers host the Orioles in the opener of a three-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Rangers enter the series in a dead heat atop the American League's West Division, where they and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are each 44-41 through 85 games.

Texas lost the final two games of a three-game weekend series, including Sunday, when Logan Morrison hit key a two-run double during a decisive eighth inning as the Florida Marlins rallied for a 6-4 victory.

Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost three of four. Cruz and Beltre had three hits apiece.

Texas starter C.J. Wilson gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over 7 1/3 innings. Mark Lowe (2-2) allowed two unearned runs in the eighth to take the loss.

On Sunday in Atlanta, Mark Reynolds hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Orioles beat the Braves, 5-4, to avoid a three-game sweep at Turner Field.

Nick Markakis had a career day, going 5-for-5 with an RBI double, while starter Zach Britton worked six innings in a no-decision and contributed offensively with a pair of hits, including his first career home run.

Jim Johnson (5-1) gave up a run over two innings in relief to earn the victory for Baltimore, which snapped its five-game losing streak. Kevin Gregg tossed a perfect ninth to nail down his 15th save of the season.

The Orioles are last in the five-team AL East, trailing the first-place New York Yankees by 13 1/2 games.

Lewis, who has 31 wins in 120 career big-league appearances, is 0-3 in five matchups with the Orioles, who've tagged him for 27 hits and 15 runs in 20 2/3 innings.

The 31-year-old Californian has pitched well of late, however, winning three of five decisions in June, including his last two against Atlanta and Houston while allowing a combined 35 hits and 19 runs across six starts.

He lost, 5-0, at Baltimore on April 9.

For the Orioles, 32-year-old right-hander Chris Jakubauskas starts against the Rangers for the first time in his 47th big-league appearance.

He's won two of three decisions in five starts in 2011, all in June.

Jakubauskas defeated Oakland on June 7 after allowing three hits in five scoreless innings, then topped Washington on June 19 with five innings of six- hit, three-run ball.

His last start was a 5-1 loss to St. Louis on June 29.

He's met Texas three times in bullpen outings, allowing 13 hits and eight runs in nine innings.

Texas took two of three from the O's earlier in the year.