Seth Smith hits go-ahead homer as O's take series opener

The Orioles tonight got a rare quality start. That led to them getting a lead for the first time since the All-Star Game and that led to a victory.

Seth Smith hit a tiebreaking homer in the last of the seventh as the Orioles beat Texas 3-1 at Oriole Park to improve to 43-49. They win the opener of a four-game series.

With the game tied 1-1, Smith hit a first-pitch fastball from Texas starter Andrew Casher over the center field wall. His 10th homer traveled 413 feet and provided the 2-1 lead. Befoe that, the Orioles had gone through the first 33 innings since the All-Star break without a lead. They had gone 14 innings without a run until the last of the sixth.

They were not done in the seventh. Catcher Welington Castillo followed the homer with a double to left center and Jeremy Jeffress replaced Cashner. Rubén Tejada greeted him with an RBI single for a two-run lead.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman tonight ended the club's run of 10 straight games without a quality start and the staff had produced just five in the last 36 games.

Tillman went six innings allowing just two hits and one run with four walks and three strikeouts. He got a no decision and threw 95 pitches, 52 for strikes. He lowered his ERA from 7.90 to 7.20 with just his third quality start in 12 outings for the season.

It was a big improvement from the weekend series with the Cubs when O's starters allowed 21 runs and seven homers over 11 1/3 innings in three games.

The Rangers took the 1-0 lead on Tillman in the top of the second. He walked Drew Robinson with two outs and then Jonathan Lucroy lined a ball in the gap in right-center. Center fielder Adam Jones slid to try and keep the bouncing ball in front of him, but it got past him for an RBI double. But Lucroy was thrown out 8-4-5 trying to make it to third.

The Orioles finally got even in the last of the sixth after being shutout Sunday and through five frames tonight. Jones walked with one out and went to third on Manny Machado's second single of the game (he finished with a three-hit night). He scored on Jonathan Schoop's sac fly to right. Schoop's 55th RBI made it a 1-1 game. That set the stage for Smith to give the Orioles the lead an inning later.

The Orioles' bullpen pitched three scoreless tonight. Richard Bleier pitched the seventh and got the win. Mychal Givens pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Brad Brach pitched the ninth to record his 16th save, stranding two runners.

So the Orioles get the opener of this four-game series and win for the first time in the second half. On Tuesday night, right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-8, 4.33 ERA) faces Texas right-hander Tyson Ross (2-1, 5.33 ERA).