The Baltimore Orioles broke out of a team-wide offensive funk and beat the Texas Rangers 10-5 on Sunday as Pete Alonso homered twice and drove in four runs.
Alonso went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks to pace Baltimore's offense as the Orioles (57-61) snapped a four-game losing streak and avoided being swept in Texas. Colton Cowser added a solo home run and two RBI, Tyler O'Neill contributed a homer and two RBI, and Jackson Holliday went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
"It was a really awesome rebound game for everybody," Alonso said in an on-field postgame interview. "We needed this one today, and it was a great team win."
Alonso was able to "change the game himself," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said.
Baltimore built a 5-0 lead through two innings before Texas pulled within 5-3 with a three-run third. The Orioles answered with two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth to put the game away. Kumar Rocker absorbed the loss, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in three innings, with Texas's Jordan Montgomery surrendering three more home runs over four innings of relief.
Yaramil Hiraldo earned the win with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts in relief. Cade Povich started for Baltimore, going three innings before turning the ball over to a bullpen that held Texas (59-59) to two runs over the final six frames.
"I came into this game thinking must-win," Povich said, "and I think maybe a lot of guys in our clubhouse think that day-to-day - every game's a must-win from here on out. Disappointed I didn't do the best of jobs in that scenarios but really happy with how the bats came out and how the pen backed me up."
Gunnar Henderson went 0-for-4 with a walk and finished the three-game series 0-for-11. He left the game before the seventh inning for rest, Albernaz said.
Baltimore is two games out of the final wild-card spot, held by Texas, heading into a three-game series at Minnesota, another team squarely in the playoff race.
"This is a big push for us, and also everyone else in the hunt," Albernaz said. "The first two games were tough, but being able to salvage this one... was huge."