Severino's three homers and Smith's six RBIs key 12-11 win (updated)

ARLINGTON, Tx. - It started with a bunt single.

An innocent infield hit. Nothing to suggest that muscles would flex and a four-run lead would accompany Dylan Bundy to the mound in the bottom of the first inning. That the Orioles would match their season high in runs and the teams would combine for 23.

The Orioles worked Rangers left-hander Drew Smyly for 40 pitches in top of the inning. They pretty much coasted until running into more late drama and somehow managed to lead the entire way while Pedro Severino homered three times and Dwight Smith Jr. drove in a career-high six runs in a crazy 12-11 victory at Globe Life Park.

Winning their third series opener in a row, the Orioles raised their record to 19-41 overall and 11-18 on the road. They have two chances to claim their first series since April 22-24.

The Rangers scored six runs in the ninth - five before an out was recorded - and made the Orioles sweat in the Texas heat. Richard Bleier let three inherited runners score and three of his own, but Mychal Givens struck out two batters for his fifth save. He stranded the tying run at second base after his throwing error, though the strikeout of Elvis Andrus almost resulted in a wild pitch.

Severino chased down the ball and made the throw to first.

Smith hit a three-run homer to left-center field after Hanser Alberto laid down a bunt to the left side and Trey Mancini worked a nine-pitch walk. Severino followed with his latest assault on a left-hander, sending a 414-foot shot to left field and allowing the Orioles to go back-to-back for the second time this season.

Smyly finally made it back to the dugout after striking out Chris Davis on 10 pitches.

Keon Broxton and Richie Martin singled in the second and executed a double steal. Mancini's fly ball scored Broxton and gave the future All-Star 30 RBIs.

David Carpenter relieved Smyly with one out in the fourth, issued back-to-back walks to load the bases and watched Smith clear them with a double to become the first Orioles player with six RBIs since Manny Machado on May 11, 2018 versus the Rays.

Six of the first nine batters reached against Smyly, who ran his pitch count to 75 through the third. Davis was responsible for 17 of them.

Broxton led off the fourth with a home run, his third with the Orioles, to extend the lead to 6-2. Smith made it 9-2 later in the inning and Severino increased the lead to 11-3 in the seventh with his two-run shot after Smith singled.

Severino struck again in the ninth with a solo shot off lefty Brett Martin and this time he really admired the flight of the ball. He hadn't produced a multi-homer game before tonight.

Smith reached base four times. The Orioles had five home runs and reached a margin rarely created in their favor this season.

Bundy allowed three runs and threw 96 pitches, again going more to his secondary stuff, in five-plus innings. Shin-Soo Choo greeted him in the bottom of the first with the outfielder's 30th career leadoff home run, the ball traveling 425 feet to center field with an exit velocity of 111.8 mph per Statcast. The Orioles have surrendered 123 this season.

Paul Fry inherited a runner in the sixth and got a strikeout and double play.

Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias traded for Smith on March 8 and claimed Severino off waivers two weeks later. Spring training moves that didn't shake up the baseball world but gave the Orioles two useful players with upside.

Improve the level of talent in the organization. Take a chance on one-time prospects who perhaps could use a change of scenery.

Hard to argue with the results.

Smith was lowered to eighth in the order while mired in a recent slump, but he's homered in two of the last four games. He's been trying to get hot, with tonight's output leaving him 8-for-41 since May 20.

The home run was his 11th of the season and the third against left-handers.

Severino was batting .351/.405/.649 against lefties this season as he stepped into the box against Smyly. He did more damage tonight.

There was one embarrassing moment for Severino in the bottom of the seventh and it became the second time this season that an Orioles catcher threw to second base without anyone covering it. It happened to Austin Wynns in Chicago, and Severino blocked a pitch in the dirt tonight from Branden Kline and nailed Delino DeShields on the shoulder. A wild pitch and error led to a run after Andrus singled.

The Rangers scored an unearned run in the eighth after Jonathan Villar fielded a ground ball and threw behind Shawn Armstrong covering the bag. Armstrong took a hard spill but stayed in the game. Martin's error in the ninth and two walks from Josh Lucas loaded the bases with no outs and forced Bleier into the game.

It almost turned into the worst loss of the season.

Alberto, who was lost and reclaimed on waivers in spring training, had four hits against the team that signed him as an amateur free agent and brought him to the majors. And he's likely to stay at third base Wednesday night with the Rangers starting left-hander Mike Minor.

Neither team had a 1-2-3 inning. The Rangers pretty much challenged every other play, no matter the inning and score. The Orioles committed four errors. Manager Brandon Hyde needed six relievers to get through nine innings.

Nothing pretty about it, but the Orioles will take more just the same.

Hyde on frustration of almost losing lead: "Obviously we didn't close out the game the way you'd like to close it out and I am going to try to stay positive. We did a lot of good things offensively. I thought Dylan Bundy threw the ball well in a tough park to pitch and a pretty good lineup that's playing well right now. So I'm focusing on those things. The other stuff we've just got to get a lot better. We made some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes and you're trying to give the bullpen guys some confidence and tonight wasn't the best night from our 'pen.

"When you give up eight runs. How many runs did we give up in the last three innings? You'd like to see that number a little lower. I just want to see guys take advantage of their opportunity. A lot of these guys have been moved around to other organizations and I want to see them grasp it and grab onto it and have major league careers. That's the roster we have is guys that have been in other places and now they're getting an opportunity and I just want to see them hold onto it and have success."

Hyde on why position players are taking better advantage than pitchers: "I have no idea. I think that playing in the big leagues is hard. It's not easy and I just think some guys are out there to prove that they're big league players and playing well.

"Smitty awesome night. Sevie great night. I think Rio Ruiz has had a nice first half. I just want guys to have success and I know it's a lot easier said than done. And when you're facing a major league lineup that's in a hitters' ballpark, that's tough to do. We didn't help them out defensively a ton. I want to see them throw strikes and be able to put guys away."

Hyde on why Renato Núñez came out of game in sixth: "We had, I don't know what our lead was at that point. But his leg's bothering him a little bit, so I took him out of the game knowing that I want him for tomorrow. That's why I took Fry out of the game. We had a seven-run lead and I'm thinking I want him for tomorrow."

Bundy on outing: "They're a tough lineup and overall I felt like my stuff was probably some of the best stuff-wise I had. The command wasn't very good tonight, so it was kind of a battle from the get-go with runners on base pretty much every inning."

Bundy on watching end of game: "It's tough. You're just hoping you can get three outs as quick as possible and end it with more runs on the board than they have. We were able to do that tonight and come away with the W."

Bundy on having early lead: "It's great. They put up four right away and then I gave up one and I think we got one more right back and it seemed like every time I gave up a run they got one more after that. Offense was great today, so that's a plus."

Bundy on pitching in front of family and friends: "It's always fun. You never want to pitch bad in front of your family and friends, so you always have a little bit extra incentive to throw the ball well. Wish I could have gone a little deeper in that sixth inning, but I was happy with that.'

Severino on hitting three homers: "It's amazing. The offense did a great job helping the pitchers. You know, all that happened the last inning, a normal game. A normal game happened. We tried to win that game right there. It was frustration right there with (six) runs in the last inning, but we never give up. We had to work to win it."

Severino on chasing down last pitch at backstop: "That game getting close like that, I just said, 'Oh my God, he can see my sign right now and I can't catch the ball right there because I can't see what pitch is coming.' I had to throw really hard to first base just to get the out."

Severino on what went through mind: "I said, 'Oh man,' I feel really bad, because I just think in my mind it's my fault if we lost that game right there. Every time that we lose I'm just mad at myself, like it's my fault. I have to understand and not let that situation happen again."