BALTIMORE — After rain delayed first pitch by just over an hour, the Texas Rangers escaped a nail-biting Game 1 in the ALDS series against Baltimore on Friday after winning 3-2.
Back-to-back doubles by Adolis Garcia and Evan Carter got the Rangers on the board in the fourth inning. Jonah Heim then drove Carter in from second base on a single to left center to take a 2-0 lead. Texas followed with two more singles in the inning, but Marcus Semien struck out to leave the bases loaded.
The Orioles answered in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run of their own off an RBI double from Ryan Mountcastle. Andrew Heaney started on the mound for the Rangers, pitched 3.2 innings and was replaced by Dane Dunning.
Orioles starter Kyle Bradish was replaced in the fifth after racking up nine strikeouts and giving up two earned runs.
Josh Jung homered to center field in the top of the sixth inning off Jacob Webb to extend the Rangers lead to 3-1. It was the first postseason home run of his career.
Baltimore responded with a single shot of their own in the bottom half of the sixth, courtesy of designated hitter Anthony Santander. After Baltimore's home run, Will Smith came in to relieve Dunning. Smith retired Gunnar Henderson to end the sixth inning.
Texas replaced Smith on the mound in the seventh inning with Josh Sborz. Sborz threw seven straight balls, including walking Aaron Hicks, before he retired Adam Frazier. Sborz finished the inning strong with back-to-back strikeouts.
Aroldis Chapman entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and threw eight balls in nine pitches, walking the first two batters. Jung bailed out Chapman by turning a crucial double play before Chapman escaped the inning with a 101-mph fast ball high in the zone on a 2-2 count.
The Orioles bullpen struck out Semien, Grossman and Garcia in the top of the ninth to keep it a one-run game as Rangers closer Jose Leclerc came on to close out the inning.
After allowing a base hit to Henderson, Rangers catcher Jonah Heim gunned down Henderson trying to steal second base. Leclerc struck out Hicks for the second out and finished the side with a groundout to third base.
The Rangers will face the Orioles again on Sunday in Game 2 before returning home to Arlington for Game 3. First pitch for Game 2 is set for 3:07 p.m. CT.
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