Orioles complete sweep of Rangers with 9-7 win (with quotes)

The Orioles' streak of quality starts ended tonight in the top of the fifth inning. They settled for tacking on another win.

Seemed like a better plan.

Down by four runs in the middle innings, the Orioles again rode their rejuvenated offense to a 9-7 victory over the Rangers before an announced crowd of 14,691 at Camden Yards that completed a four-game sweep.

Jonathan Schoop, Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, who ran the table on the Rangers in a four-game series for the second time since 2014. They also improved to 46-49, moving three games under .500 for the first time since they were 40-43 on July 4.

The Orioles have won four in a row, their longest streak since reeling off six straight on May 4-9. They outscored the Rangers 34-11.

A four-run sixth inning propelled the Orioles to an 8-5 lead. Joey Rickard had an RBI single off Cole Hamels, tying the game and ending the left-hander's night. Jones poked a run-scoring double down the right field line and Schoop delivered a two-out, two-run single into center field.

Davis led off the seventh with his 17th home run, a towering fly ball to left field.

Jones and Schoop each drove in three runs, but the bottom third of the order also was productive. Through the seventh inning, the trifecta of Welington Castillo, Rubén Tejada and Rickard was a combined 8-for-11 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.

Wade Miley was removed after allowing five runs in five innings, denying the Orioles a fourth straight quality start for the first time since April 19-22. Miley permitted seven hits and walked four batters, never able to offer a clean inning.

Miley hasn't gone more than 5 2/3 since June 1, a span of nine starts. He's carrying a 5.58 ERA in 98 1/3 innings.

Miguel Castro, Darren O'Day and Brad Brach retired all nine batters faced, but Shin-Soo Choo had a two-out, two-run single off Zach Britton in the ninth. Britton threw 23 pitches.

Schoop hit his 19th home run in the fourth inning to take over the team lead. His 63 RBIs also are tops.

The home run reduced the Rangers' lead to 2-1 and ended Hamels' scoreless-innings streak at 24, the longest in the majors.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the fourth after Schoop's home run, but they couldn't push across the tying run. Trumbo walked, Trey Mancini was hit on the foot and Castillo walked, but Tejada grounded out. Tejada doubled in his previous at-bat and is 11-for-25 in his last seven games.

Miley served up Mike Napoli's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the fifth, but Jones answered with a two-run shot in the bottom half and Trumbo delivered a solo homer with two outs to reduce the lead to 5-4.

Jones again went to the opposite field, as he did last night with three hits, including a home run.

The Orioles fell behind 2-0 in the top of the fourth when Carlos Gomez doubled with two outs after Miley walked Jonathan Lucroy to extend the inning. Miley's 59 walks lead the American League.

Once the Orioles were done hammering Rangers pitching again, they were seven games off the division lead. They're still not thinking wild card and they're definitely not thinking rebuild.

What do you think?

Manager Buck Showalter on significance of four-game sweep: "It's a positive, but we've got one of the best teams in baseball coming in tomorrow, so ... I think it's kind of making sure you remember why. And if you do those things, you'll be in most games. I thought one of the keys tonight was the four outs we got that we took advantage of. We got a bunt to lead off the game and Wade executed the way you want it done where Chris goes to the bag. Got a bunt back to him where Manny retreated, read it right and got an out there. Got a pickoff at first base. We got a great throw from Joey Rickard. Those are four outs against a team in the major leagues and those are the things that we have to do. That's kind of who we have to be to get those outs."

Showalter on contributions from bottom of order: "There's that potential. Rubén very quietly has been doing well for us offensively. He's been a tough out for them. We talk a lot of times about trying to create that lineup that guys have to grind all the way through it. Welington's got a track record of hitting. He's been struggling a little bit since coming off the disabled list, but he's been swinging it pretty well. And then Joey had probably as big of hits as we had. Got some things going. Anytime you're down 5-1 to Cole Hamels and you end up winning the game, you've got to like that"

Showalter on common thread in these big innings: "A lot of pass the baton, some key walks. I think more than anything just the crispness of taking advantage of some outs that we have to get. I call them almost unearned outs that you've got to get. Making a good throw to stop the inning that Joey made, John Russell making a great read on the throw over and getting an out there. Manny reading the pitcher. All the plays I talked about. Wade on the bunt. It sets a good tone. Those are the things that allow you to play some crisp baseball. And pretty good out of the bullpen."

Showalter on bullpen: "Zach, that's one of those things that's almost good in a way, for him to get a lot of pitches and get a good sweat going. I know he likes perfection, but he'll be better as a result of it. I wanted to get Darren back out there. He pitched real well. But I thought Castro was really good again. Of course, Brad continues to be solid there. You put those zeroes up. They go up 5-1, to put those runs up against Hamel right away was big."

Showalter on comeback versus Hamel: "What did he have, 21 innings unscored upon coming into tonight? You can see why tonight. It's a sticky, hot night. It's tough to hold your stuff. Heck, we didn't take BP today because some of the warnings that were out. But that's some things we've done in the past that put us in a good position in April and part of May, so hopefully, it's a sign of getting back to doing some of those things."

Showalter on Miley: "OK. He's one pitch away from having a pretty good outing, but Napoli got him. I think it was a backdoor slider that came over the plate."

Schoop on good at-bats: "Yeah, we pass the baton. If I don't do it, if they don't give me a good pitch, then trust the guy behind me and let him do it. That's what we've been doing, and things are going our way. We're hitting the ball hard and finding the holes."

Schoop on different feel after sweep: "Of course. When you win, it's more happy. But we're a happy team and we believe in each other. Even the days we were down, you still come out here and try to win. You still play hard, go hard and leave it out there. Of course, when you win, it's different. You have fun."

Schoop on whether ball looks big to him: "I'm just trying to swing through the pitch and hit it hard somewhere. I sit down with (Scott Coolbaugh), the hitting coach, and achieved the things that he told me to do. What the pitcher's trying to do to me and try to be prepared for it."

Schoop on offense: "This offense from one to nine is really good. From spring training, everybody believed in each other and we know what kind of team we are. Everybody believed in each other. Of course, we struggled a little bit, but we knew we were going to come out. We knew everybody was going to play together."

Schoop on confidence boost: "We honestly have confidence no matter what. This team, we believe in each other and we have confidence in each other. Four straight wins, a sweep, that's good. You've got to just let it go and come back tomorrow and win again."

Britton on four-game sweep: "It was good. We're ready to go out there and win four straight, but we got a tough challenge tomorrow so we'll see where we are, but we are playing good baseball - well, better baseball right now."

Britton on what happened after two outs: "You know, ground balls really. Command wasn't as sharp obviously as the pitch count got up, but you know, I've been throwing every other day for a long time now, so that's kind of been the schedule. But yeah, maybe a little fatigued at the end there. But physically, feeling good, really good. Command has gotten better until right in there, but that's going to be the issue for me is really just the command of it. Everything else is there.

"Capable of throwing every day. We just have this little schedule going right now. It was nice to kind of get ready for a save situation every day, but, for me, it's just the command. Movement is there. Obviously, I'm getting ground balls, but I just need to improve the command. Simple as that."

Miley on pitch to Napoli: "Yeah, just left it up and away. Trying to go down and away there for a strike, really didn't want to lose him right there. Did a good job, ball was three or four inches off the plate, kind of sitting on it right there. It's not (a well) executed pitch."

Miley on bullpen: "Outstanding. Those guys have been doing it all year long. They've come in and cleaned up our messes from day one. It's huge to have a good bullpen down there and hopefully we'll get going better and give them a break."

Miley on how he can be more consistent: "When hitters start swinging and missing and they hit balls at people, I guess. Just keep grinding. I thought I'm getting better and better. Tonight, I was a pitch away. Obviously, the walks to Choo didn't help. I thought I was right there. The slider to Napoli, the big thing. Two outs right there."