Baltimore Orioles (29-27) at Texas Rangers (29-29) RHP Bud Norris (3-5, 4.04) vs. RHP Nick Martinez (1-1, 2.75) Game #59 • Home #28 (13-14) • Wed., June 4, 2014 • Globe Life Park in Arlington • 7:05 p.m. CDT • FSSW / 103.3 FM / 1270 AM WINS AND LOSSES: The Rangers lost to the Orioles 8-3 last night and PRODUCTIVE START FOR ROOKIE: Nick Martinez makes his 6th career are 0-1 on this 9-game, 9-day homestand against Baltimore (0-1), Cleve- start tonight after going 1-0 in his first 5 career starts…he is just the 7th land (4 G) and Miami (2 G)…team went 7-4 on road trip that preceded this pitcher in club history to open an MLB career undefeated over at least his homestand…Texas has lost 3 of 4, but has won 6 of 10, 8 of 13, and 9 of first 5 career starts (see chart)…Martinez’s only career loss came in relief last 15…team has also lost 20 of 34 and 21 of 36, as team’s .417 winning on 5/14 at HOU…he has twice left in position to win a start only to have a pct. (15-21) beginning 4/25 ranks 2nd-lowest in A.L. (TB-.351, 13-24) and blown save behind him, and has exited in position to lose a start just once T4th-lowest in MLB…team has hovered between 2 games over .500 and (Rangers’ come-from-behind 5-4 win on 4/22 at OAK). 2-under for 14 straight days…Texas has twice reached season-low 3-un- MOST STARTS TO OPEN MLB CAREER BY A RANGER, NO LOSSES der (last after loss on 5/20)…before this month, team had not been 3-under GS Pitcher Year(s) GS Pitcher Year(s) since 4/23/09 (6-9)…have been season-high 6 games over .500 twice, last 12 Alexi Ogando 2011 6 Rick Helling 1994 after win on 4/26 (15-9). 10 Gerald Alexander 1990-91 5 Yu Darvish 2012 • Texas has gone 3-7-2 in last 12 series after opening year with a 5-2-0 6 Danny Darwin 1978 5 Nick Martinez 2014* mark in first 7 series of 2014. 6 Mike Loynd 1986 * - current STANDINGS: Rangers dropped into 4th place with last night’s loss, 7.0 JOAKIM SORIA has saved each of the Rangers’ last 3 wins…in his 12 games behing Oakland in the A.L. West, and have now lost 3 games in the save chances this season, batters have gone 3-for-40 (.075) with one walk division over the past 5 days…team had been alone or tied for 3rd place for (an IBB) and 13 strikeouts…fielding independent pitching (FIP) is a statis- 9 straight days until falling back into 4th yesterday…club had a 4.0-game tic that measures a pitcher’s effectiveness at preventing home runs, walks, deficit after Thursday’s win that had been smallest since May 12 (-4.0)… and hit by pitches, and at causing strikeouts…according to baseball-refer- prior to this season, Rangers had not been anywhere other than first or 2nd ence.com, the only reliever in live ball era (since 1920) with a full-season in the division this late since 9/22/08 (3rd place)…season-high 8.0-game FIP as low as Soria’s current 0.81 was ATL’s Craig Kimbrel (0.78) in 2012. deficit May 20-21. ADRIAN BELTRE had 3 hits last night for 2nd time in the last 4 games, and AT HOME: Rangers’ 13-14 (.500) home record ranks T8th in A.L., the club’s his 5 games of 3+ hits are tied with Alex Rios for most by any Ranger this slowest start in Arlington since an 11-15 home mark to open the 2007 cam- season despite missing 2 weeks on the DL…Beltre has also accumulated paign, and just the 5th time to be under .500 thru 27 home games in the enough plate appearances to qualify for league leader status and enters “Ballpark Era” of 1994-2014…2-2 last 4 home games, but have dropped 6 today ranked 13th in the A.L. with a .302 average. of 9 at home and are 4-11 last 15 home games after opening season with • Beltre has 3 of Rangers’ last 6, and 5 of club’s last 10 HR in night games. a 9-3 mark in Arlington…the 4-11 (.267) home mark since April 20 is lowest winning pct. and fewest home wins in baseball in that span…Rangers won MORE ODOR: Since he was called to the big leagues on May 8, Rougned first 4 series here in ‘14, but are 0-3-2 last 5 home series. Odor leads all Rangers with 8 hits w/ RISP (8-for-21, .381) and ranks 3rd on the club with 11 RBI behind only Adrian Beltre and Alex Rios (12 RBI VS. BALTIMORE: Rangers lost first meeting last night and have dropped 6 each)…in the Rangers’ current 10-for-60 span w/ RISP the past 7 games, in a row beginning 7/10/13, longest losing streak to O’s since 9 in a row in the only batter with multiple hits w/ RISP is Rougned Odor (3-for-8 w/ 2003-04…from start of 2011 thru 7/9/13, Rangers went 12-2 vs. O’s…have RISP). lost season series in 2 of last 4 years, but still 12-8 vs. O’s since start of 2011 and have 44-35 lead since start of 2005…Rangers were swept in 3-G JASON FRASOR stranded both inherited runners last night after entering series in Arlington last year (July 19-21) and are just 8-11 at home vs. O’s the game with no outs and 2 on in the 7th inning…Frasor has stranded his since start of 2009 (not including 2012 Wild Card Game loss)…Baltimore last 6 inherited runners…his 1.89 ERA ranks 13th among A.L. relievers, leads all-time series 241-193-1, including 122-95 edge in Arlington…Texas best in the Texas bullpen, as opponents have batted .209 with 21 strikeouts has a 49-41 lead at Globe Life Park. in 19.0 innings. UNDER THE LIGHTS: Last night began a stretch in which Rangers play 4 FINDING THE FORMULA: The Rangers have scored 9 runs over the past straight, 9 of 11, and 29 of final 38 in first “half” at night…while Texas has 4 games…after a 3-game stretch that saw the club go 21-for-45 (.467) the majors’ 3rd-best winning pct. in day games (13-6, .684), club has the with RISP from May 24-25-26, club has gone 10-for-60 w/ RISP the past A.L.’s 4th-lowest winning pct. at night (16-23, .410)…Rangers are 1-9 in 7 contests to drop season figure from .274 to .261, still 4th-highest in the last 10 night contests, 6-18 under the lights beginning April 25 after open- A.L…Rangers have A.L.’s 3rd-highest overall average at .265, rank 5th in ing the season with a 10-5 record at night…7 of the Rangers’ 16 night wins OBP at .329, and club’s .283 (237-837) avg. w/ runners on base is best in this season have been shutouts. A.L. and 2nd in MLB (COL-.305)…despite these positive figures, team is 10th in A.L. w/ 4.16 R/G and has scored 2-runs-or-less 22 times, 2nd-most SCHEPPERS AND ADDUCI ON REHAB: RHP Tanner Scheppers (1.0 IP, in A.L. and T4th-most in baseball. 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 6 pitches/5 strikes) pitched the 8th inning and OF Jim Adduci (1-for-4 in start at first base) both played for Frisco (AA) last night TOAST TO AN ANNIVERSARY: Today marks the 40th anniversary of the vs. San Antonio as part of injury rehab assignments…it was Scheppers’ memorable 10 Cent Beer Night game, when the Rangers visited Cleveland 5th outing on rehab, and Adduci’s first rehab contest…Adduci is expected Stadium to play the Indians on June 4, 1974…Tom Grieve homered twice to play again with Frisco tonight. in the game (one of 2 multi-HR games in his career) and Jim Sundberg went 1-for-3 with a walk and run…the cheap beer promotion that night led ESPN SELECTION: MLB announced last night that Rangers’ game on Sun- to several drunken extracurricular activities by fans over the course of the day, June 22 in Anaheim has been selected by ESPN as its Sunday Night contest…a melee in the 9th inning would only be stopped when the Cleve- Baseball national telecast, Rangers’ first Sunday Night selection of 2014. land Police Department arrived…umpiring crew chief Nestor Chylak ruled a forfeit win for the Rangers with the Indians rallying and the game tied at MOVING ON: Texas had 4 different pitchers allow runs last night, matching 5-5 in the bottom of the 9th. a season high (5th time)…the team used 6 pitchers in the loss, also tying a season high (7th time), first instance since 5/17 vs. TOR…the bullpen MISCELLANEOUS: Last night’s 0-for-8 w/ RISP snapped a stretch in allowed 6 runs in the 8th inning last night, 7th time this season for Rangers which Rangers had posted at least one hit w/ RISP in 15 straight games… to allow an inning of 6+ runs, first since 5/6 at COL (6-run 6th)…last night’s opposing starting pitchers last 7 G vs.