Baltimore Eliminates Texas

In the second game of tonight’s action, the Orioles eliminated the Rangers with a 5 - 1 victory. Yu Darvish pitched a decent 6.2 innings for Texas, giving up three earned runs and five hits. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Joe Saunders pitched through a couple of jams and gave Baltimore 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He struck out four, issued one free pass, and gave up six hits. It wasn’t the most dominate performance, but amid all the questions about the starting pitching, Saunders held out.

Baltimore’s bullpen did what it did best during the season and held the Rangers to just one hit in 3.1 innings of work. Joe Nathan gave up two earned runs in the top of the ninth, and the Orioles never looked back.

After getting swept in the final season series by Oakland and losing the division lead, it’s a tough way for the Rangers to go. For the Orioles, the game marks the latest, and greatest, stop on their improbably journey through the 2012 season.