Shin-Soo Choo hit a go-ahead two-run single, Ian Desmond homered halfway up the hill in center field and the Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 on Monday night in a makeup game matching the American League's top two teams.
Texas extended its season-best winning streak to seven games with their fourth straight one-run decision. This win moved them to 17-4, on the season, in one run games -- the highest winning percentage in the majors in one-run ball games. They also added to their MLB-leading total of come-from-behind victories, now with 23.
Since the makeup of an April 17 rainout counted as a series, the AL West-leading Rangers stretched their club record to 10 consecutive series wins -- the longest in the American League since Tampa Bay's 10 in a row three years ago.
Desmond's 11th homer was a solo shot in the third, an inning before Bobby Wilson ended a 10-pitch at-bat with a sacrifice fly and Choo followed by lining a single to right off Kevin Gausman (0-5) for a 4-3 lead.
Every Baltimore starter had at least one hit, and the Orioles had runners on base in every inning. They only scored in the second, when J.J. Hardy had an RBI double before Adam Jones and Joey Rickard drove in runs with two-out hits.
Baltimore loaded the bases with no outs in the third before Hardy struck out and Nolan Reimold grounded into an inning-ending double play. That was the MLB-best 92nd double play turned by the Rangers this season, and they added another in the seventh.
Rangers starter Derek Holland allowed 11 of the 23 batters he faced to reach base, giving up nine hits and two walks in 4 1-3 innings. The left-hander struck out four.
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Shawn Tolleson (2-2) worked 1 2-3 scoreless innings in relief of Holland. It was the second win in three games for Tolleson, the closer before four blown saves by mid-May. Tony Barnette threw two scoreless innings before Sam Dyson worked the ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances, including 12 straight since being taking over as the closer May 18.
The Rangers have the American League's best record at 46-25, their best ever through 71 games. Baltimore is 40-29, a half-game ahead of Boston in the AL East.
QUICK TRIP
This was the Orioles' first one-game trip between home games since 1967, when they had to travel about 40 miles to play the Washington Senators, the team that in 1972 became the Rangers playing in Texas -- nearly 1,400 miles from Baltimore.
NO MANNY
Two-time All-Star 3B Manny Machado remained in Baltimore for what was the second game of his four-game MLB suspension for charging the mound against Kansas City on June 7.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin, who has made three rehab starts while on the DL with right shoulder stiffness, will throw a bullpen session Tuesday. If all goes well, he could be in line to return to the Rangers' rotation on Friday night.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (6-0), who in his last start took a perfect game into the eighth inning and a no-hitter into the ninth, tries to become only the fourth Rangers pitcher from a season-opening rotation to win his first seven decisions.
