Sun Jul 6 18:16:58 2008

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Murphy and Rangers outlast Orioles

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Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - David Murphy went 3-for-6 with a three-run home run to help the Texas Rangers squeak by the Baltimore Orioles, 11-10, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

The day four offensive players for the Rangers were named to the All-Star team, the club rattled off 14 hits, including three apiece from Ian Kinsler and Ramon Vazquez.

Kevin Millwood (6-4) won his seventh straight start against the Orioles despite being touched for five runs -- three earned -- on nine hits through five innings for Texas, which has won five of its last seven. C.J. Wilson served up two homers in the ninth but still came away with his 21st save.

Baltimore's Kevin Millar was 4-for-4 with a double and solo home run, while Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer during a 3-for-5 effort at the plate, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games. Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora also hit home runs in the loss.

Radhames Liz (3-1) was pounded for six runs -- four earned -- in just 3 2/3 innings for the Orioles, who have fallen in three of their last four games. Jim Johnson only recorded two outs in relief and gave up four runs.

Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, Vazquez jumped started a big inning with an RBI single to tie the game. Two batters later the Orioles opted to walk Milton Bradley with a base open and two away. The strategy backfired as Murphy clubbed a middle-in fastball off the gate beyond the right field wall, and Texas led, 6-3.

The Orioles answered in the fifth with consecutive one-out singles by Markakis and Aubrey Huff. Ramon Hernandez bounced one back to Millwood, who threw the ball into center field trying to turn a double play, brining in a run. Luke Scott then made it a one-run game with an RBI force out.

Texas' five-run eighth gave the squad just enough breathing room. A pair of singles and a walk to Josh Hamilton loaded the bases before Frank Catalanotto's sacrifice fly to left. Another single loaded the bases again, and the Orioles failed to execute a fairly routine double-play ball on a Brandon Boggs' grounder, allowing Vazquez to score. With the bases again loaded, Max Ramirez forced in a run with a walk and German Duran followed with a two-run single for an 11-5 advantage.

Markakis slammed a three-run shot for his 13th home run of the season in the bottom half, and solo shots by Millar and pinch-hitter Mora in the ninth brought the tying run to the plate.

Roberts couldn't come through, however, striking out on Wilson's 2-2 slider to end a wild, high-scoring affair.

Roberts manufactured a run almost single-handedly in the first. The second baseman, who is one of five players to be voted on by fans to make the AL All- Star roster, singled, stole second and third, and scampered home on Huff's sacrifice fly.

An Adam Jones two-out, run-scoring single made it a 2-0 Orioles lead in the second, but Hamilton, who will start in the AL outfield at the Midsummer Classic, tied it up the next inning. His single brought in Kinsler for his league-leading 84th RBI of the season, and he raced home three batters later on a wild pitch by Liz.

Roberts led off the third with his seventh home run of the season, but the lead quickly vanished in the fourth.

Game Notes

Shortstop Michael Young, who was one of the four players on Texas named to the All-Star game, was a late scratch due to an ongoing groin injury...Kinsler also made the All-Star team, as he extended his hitting streak to 18 games, one shy of a career-high set earlier this season...Bradley was the final All- Star for the high-scoring Rangers, but the designated hitter left the game in the sixth inning with inflammation in his left knee after working three walks...The Orioles have dropped 13 straight Sunday games...Reliever George Sherill is Baltimore's lone representative for the All-Star game.