Orioles use six-run outburst in eighth to beat Texas in series opener

Caleb Joseph picked a good time for his first major league extra-base hit. Nelson Cruz picked a good time to hit another homer. They were both part of a six-run explosion in the top of the eighth tonight as the Orioles beat Texas 8-3 in the opener of a three-game series. Moments after a homer by Robinson Chirinos off Brian Matusz tied the game 2-2 in the last of the seventh, the Orioles untied it with their second six-run inning in two games. The first big hit came off the bat of Joseph. His double to right-center on an 0-2 pitch made it a 3-2 O's lead. Nick Markakis, who had three hits, and Manny Machado followed with RBI singles to open a 5-2 lead. Then Cruz greeted reliever Shawn Tolleson with a three-run homer on the first pitch. He crushed one to left for his 21st homer and he now has 55 RBIs. It was his 93rd career homer at Texas. Earlier, Adam Jones hit a solo homer in the fourth to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. It was his seventh homer and he ended a 13-game homerless stretch. Jones went 4-for-5 and is now batting .294. Delmon Young's RBI single in the sixth gave the O's a 2-1 lead. The Orioles, who had 17 hits tonight, have scored 21 runs the past three games. Ubaldo Jimenez gave up just one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings with four walks and five strikeouts, getting a no-decision. Jimenez threw 101 pitches. Over the last five games, O's starters have pitched to an ERA of 1.78, giving up one run four times and two runs once. The Orioles won their third in a row and improved to 18-15 on the road and 29-27 for the season. In the second game of this series on Wednesday night, Bud Norris (3-5, 4.04 ERA) faces right-hander Nick Martinez (1-1, 2.75 ERA).