Showalter says Trumbo not just "some brute" at the plate (O's win 11-5)

ARLINGTON, Texas - Mark Trumbo, a career .250 hitter in his first six major league seasons, is batting .389 heading into tonight's game against the Rangers at Globe Life Park.

Trumbo also has posted a .421 on-base percentage in 38 plate appearances. He had a .300 OBP when the Orioles acquired him from the Mariners over the winter for backup catcher Steve Clevenger.

It's not just average and reaching base, of course. Trumbo has homered in three of the first four games of the road trip.

Trumbo is demonstrating how he can hit the ball to all fields, his latest home run last night clearing the fence in right-center and landing in the Rangers' bullpen. He isn't swinging from the heels and trying to pull every pitch.

"Most guys, it develops a little bit when you have that type of strength and the leverage he creates," said manager Buck Showalter. "A lot of guys are tall and don't play their leverage, but he uses his leverage.

"I think the thing that's been impressive about him is what a student of hitting he is. Advanced reports. There aren't many pitchers we bring up that he doesn't have some history or thought about. He's a real watcher. If you watch him between innings, you watch him when other guys are hitting, he's constantly talking about pitchers and what they're trying to do. He's a very cerebral guy. He's not just some brute up there trying to see how far he can hit it. He has an idea when he goes up there what he's trying to do."

Trumbo must be trying to confound defenses by spraying the ball all over the place and eliminate any thoughts of shifting against him. He can destroy a baseball and a game plan.

"It's like Chris (Davis) and Adam (Jones), when he gets going, and now J.J. (Hardy). He's driving home runs down the right field line," Showalter said. "But you don't get into the 30s in home runs and not have the ability to hit the ball out of different parts of the park. It doesn't happen.

"The guys who are hitting 15 to 20 sometimes are dead pull hitters, but the guys that get into the 30s are the guys who hit the ball all over the park."

Trumbo, who's 14-for-36, is serving as the designated hitter again tonight while Showalter puts Nolan Reimold and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard in the outfield corners against Texas southpaw Martin Perez. He twice removed Trumbo from the Fenway Park outfield in the late innings, but said it isn't necessarily a commentary on the veteran's defense.

"It's as much for Nolan and for Rickard. I'm trying to get him familiar with ballparks," Showalter said.

"I'm trying to get Trum off the field here and there. I think there's still some unknown what type of defender he's going to be out there, but we like the idea of him getting four and five at-bats every night. He's shown a history of being very good in April and May and we want to take advantage of that. But sometimes guys evolve at 30, 31. They start figuring out some things and realizing more isn't always better.

"I think there's only one way to find out about a lot of those things."

Update: The Orioles scored once in the top of the first, but they failed to bust out against left-hander Martin Perez ater the first three batters reached.

Rickard doubled and took third on an error by center fielder Delino DeShields. Manny Machado walked and Rickard scored on Adam Jones' single. Perez proceeded to strikeout Chris Davis, Trumbo and J.J. Hardy to end the inning.

Down on the farm, Kevin Gausman allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits in 3 1/3 innings at Single-A Frederick. He walked two and struck out eight.

Showalter wanted five innings and good results.

Brian Matusz gave up a solo home run in his first inning of work. He also struck out a batter.

Update II: Mitch Moreland hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot into the visiting bullpen with one out in the second inning to tie the score.

Update III: The Rangers batted around in the second inning and scored five runs, four of them earned, to take a 5-1 lead. Vance Worley has thrown 44 pitches.

Worley loaded the bases after the home run and hit No. 9 hitter Bryan Holaday to force in the go-ahead run. Delino DeShields followed with a two-run single and the runners moved up on Adam Jones' error. Nomar Mazara lifted a sacrifice fly.

Update IV: Trumbo followed Davis' leadoff walk in the seventh with his fourth home run in five games, and the Orioles were just getting warmed up. J.J. Hardy singled and Jonathan Schoop and Nolan Reimold hit back-to-back home runs off reliever Tom Wilhelmsen to give the Orioles a 6-5 lead.

Worley goes six innings, the second-longest outing for the Orioles this season, and allows five runs (four earned) and six hits, with two walks, six strikeouts, a home run and a hit batter. He threw 87 pitches, 54 strikes, and retired 13 of the last 14 batters.

Update V: The inning continued, with the Orioles batting around and adding another run on Manny Machado's double and Jones' second RBI single of the night. Orioles 7, Rangers 5.

Machado has a hit in all 10 games this season.

Chris Davis walked and Trumbo hit his second home run of the inning and the fourth for the Orioles, who lead 10-5.

Update VI: Schoop homered again leading off the eighth and the Orioles lead 11-5.

That's five home runs tonight for the Orioles. Schoop and Trumbo have two and Reimold has one.

Update VII: Trumbo became the first player in club history to hit two home runs in the same inning, and the Orioles defeated the Rangers 11-5.

They hit five home runs in two innings. It was quite a display.

Worley gets the win. Darren O'Day, Brad Brach and Zach Britton each tossed a scoreless inning.