Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman Steve Pearce powered the offense in the team’s 7-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Pearce recorded the first multi-home run game of his career, going yard to left twice. He finished with four RBI on the night.
“[I’m] just trying not to do too much,” Pearce said after the game on MLB.com. “[I’m] taking what the pitcher’s giving me, and I’m not swinging at what he’s trying to do. When you get to the plate, you start to get into a little comfort zone.”
Pearce’s first blast came in the first inning. After right fielder Nick Markakis led the inning off with a walk, Pearce unloaded on the second pitch he saw from Texas starter Joe Saunders, sending it 422 feet. Two batters later, center fielder Adam Jones made the score 3-0 with a homer of his own.
The next inning, the Orioles continued to score with the long ball, as shortstop J.J. Hardy smacked a lead-off homer. In the fourth, Pearce stuck again with another two-run blast, making the score 6-0.
In the top of the fifth, a throwing error by Baltimore third baseman Chris Davis allowed Texas center fielder Leonys Martin to score the lone Ranger run. The Orioles got that run back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by catcher Caleb Joseph, reports ESPN.com.
Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez was spectacular, throwing eight innings and only allowing one unearned run on four hits. He amassed seven strikeouts and issued just one walk.
Saunders remains winless on the season, as he labored through five innings, yielding seven runs on nine hits.
With the win, the Orioles move within one game of the AL East lead with a record of 43-39. The Rangers’ slump continues as they fall to 2-8 in their last 10 games.
The two teams continue their four-game series on Tuesday.