Rangers find Orioles to their liking

By JAIME ARON
Associated Press

ARLINGTON - For years, the Texas Rangers tried building winning teams by loading their lineup with bashers. Now that they've gotten a more well-rounded team, they're still driven by power.

Dean Palmer hit a grand slam and a two-run homer as Texas defeated Baltimore 9-6, wrapping up a three-game sweep that saw the Rangers score 43 runs and surpass the Orioles as baseball's best team. Texas is 13-4, including 11-1 at home.

"We're not going to keep this up all year," warned Palmer, on a 9-for-13 streak that includes five homers. "But hopefully we can keep it going for a long time."

The Rangers have won five straight and scored 55 runs in that span. They've hit 11 homers and have 27 extra-base hits in four games.

"You can always find something to get better on, but if a manager had to sit down and write a script, this would probably follow pretty much to form," Texas manager Johnny Oates said.

Baltimore had the AL's best ERA when it arrived at The Ballpark in Arlington. That changed when Texas scored 26 runs Friday, including 16 in the eighth, and a total of 17 more Saturday and Sunday.

"They did everything right and we couldn't get anything going," Orioles manager Davey Johnson said. "We'd get a break here or there, but that was it."

The Orioles led 2-0 after two innings behind solo homers from Brady Anderson, his eighth, and Chris Hoiles.

Anderson's homer led off the game, marking the fourth straight time he's done that. The Elias Sports Bureau, which now keeps baseball's statistics, could not say whether Anderson's streak was a record.

Orioles starter David Wells (2-1) couldn't hold the lead. He loaded the bases with two outs in the third, then served up Palmer's full-count, two-out grand slam. Palmer's fifth career slam went 414 feet into a stiff wind that kept garbage flying around the field all day.

Palmer opened the sixth with a triple, and wound up scoring as Texas made it 7-3.

Needing only a double to hit for the cycle, Palmer instead homered again in the seventh to tie his career-best with six RBI. It was his sixth homer of the year.

"The last four or five games I've felt like the hitter I was at the start of last year," said Palmer, who was doing great last season before an arm injury ended his season in June. "I'm never going to say I'm locked in, but every day I'm feeling more confident."

Rafael Palmeiro hit a three-run homer in the ninth. He also scored in the sixth on a single by Hoiles.
Darren Oliver (1-0) won for the first time since last June. His 1995 season was cut short by arm trouble that led to offseason shoulder surgery. This was his second start this season.
Oliver allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.

"I can feel myself getting stronger with every start," Oliver said. "I felt strong today. I was able to keep the ball down and change speeds."