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Rangers go for rare sweep of Orioles

Jul 6, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - It has been over a month since the Texas Rangers last won three straight games. If they can reach that mark tonight, they'll have their first sweep of the Baltimore Orioles since 2002.

The Rangers hope Alexi Ogando can put together his second straight solid effort on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game set with the Orioles in Arlington.

Texas has taken the first two games of this series and a victory tonight would give the club its longest winning streak since claiming five straight contests from June 1-5. The Rangers remained tied with the Angels for first place in the American League West after last night's 4-2 victory over the Orioles.

Texas went ahead thanks to a three-run third inning that featured an error and two walks. Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre both knocked in a run during the frame and Elvis Andrus scored on a throwing error to make a winner out of Tommy Hunter, who relieved starter Matt Harrison after he allowed two runs on 11 hits over six-plus innings.

The Rangers were held in check by Mitch Atkins in his first career start. The O's hurler allowed a run on eight hits over six innings before Jim Johnson absorbed the loss in relief.

"You got to give [Atkins] credit for what he did, keeping us off-balanced. But we finally got to him in the sixth and broke out in the seventh and put enough runs up," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy both homered in Baltimore's seventh loss in eight games, while Wieters ended with three hits. However, the Orioles went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position to waste Atkins' outing.

"[Atkins] really settled in and had a nice tempo. I'm real proud of the way he pitched," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Baltimore played without Luke Scott after placing the outfielder on the disabled list Tuesday because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Scott is hoping to avoid surgery.

Texas has won six of its last eight meetings versus Baltimore and will try to sweep the club for the first time since taking all three games of a home set on Aug. 27-29, 2002. The Rangers try to pull off the feat tonight and get a second straight victory from Ogando, who ended a frustrating run of three straight losing starts with a win over the Marlins on Friday.

Ogando had given up 10 earned runs over 9 2/3 innings during his personal skid, but held Florida to a pair of runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old righty retired the first 12 batters he faced and ended with a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 15-5 triumph.

"Tonight he mixed right away," said Washington. "His fastball was good tonight, it was really good. He wasn't missing many spots either."

Ogando is 8-3 with a 2.86 earned run average in 16 starts this season, going 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA over nine starts in Arlington. He has never started against the Orioles, but has tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings against them over two relief outings.

Owner of a major league high-tying 10 losses, Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie looks to get back into the win column tonight.

Guthrie picked up just his third victory of the season on June 26 -- and first since May 21 -- after beating the Reds, but the righty then suffered a setback in Atlanta on Friday. He was charged with four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and three walks over seven-plus innings for his longest start since May 31.

Guthrie retired 11 straight at one point and holds a respectable 3.93 ERA this year despite his high loss total.

The 32-year-old is 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA in his career versus the Rangers, suffering that first loss on April 10 of this season. Guthrie took a defeat even though he allowed just Beltre's solo homer over six innings of work.