The Rangers beat the Orioles and took a 2-0 lead in their division series

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bruce Bochy has been on fire in yet another postseason where everything he tries seems to work.

Mitch Garver hit a grand slam in the third inning and the Texas Rangers won their fourth straight game to start the postseason, leaving the Baltimore Orioles one step away from elimination with an 11-8 victory Sunday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. .

The Rangers, who qualified for the Wild Card, outscored the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays, the top two teams in the American League in the regular season, by a margin of 25-11.

Bochy was one win away from his first AL Championship Series as manager. He reached that round four times in the National League, winning three World Series titles with the San Francisco Giants.

“It’s a little hard to read the emotions in him, because sometimes it looks like he’s sitting in a lawn chair and watching the game,” said Garver, who was making his first appearance in these qualifiers. “But yes, we trust his decisions and the way he manages the match.”

Gunnar Henderson and Aaron Hicks are back for the Orioles, the American East champions, who haven’t been swept in a series of at least two games since May 2022. And now they’re in danger of being swept at the most inopportune moment.

Hicks drove in five runs, including three on one hit that brought the Orioles within three runs for the first time since Garver’s grand slam. But it’s too late.

Texas found itself trailing for the first time in the postseason when the Orioles scored two runs in the first inning, but the Rangers answered with five in the top of the second to knock rookie Grayson Rodriguez off the mound. Garver, a reserve player who was given the opportunity to serve as a designated hitter, hit a grand slam that made the score 9-2.

“He can hit and he did a great job this year for us,” Bochy said. “So I gave him the start today. He saw a pitch he could catch. He’s got a lot of power, and that’s big at that point in the game. It was really the difference.”

The Texans became the first team in postseason history with seven hits and seven walks after three innings, according to Sportsradar.

“It’s a good offense, and it’s been pretty good all year, but at the same time we outgained them by 11,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “You’re not doing yourself any favors when you allow too much traffic on the driveways.”

None of the starters were able to go beyond fifth place. Cody Bradford took credit for the win over Jordan Montgomery, covering 3 2/3 without allowing a run.

For Tuesday’s Game 3 at Texas, the Rangers will start Nathan Eovaldi. Hyde will announce his pitcher on Monday.

This will be the first time the Rangers have hosted a postseason game at Globe Life Field. The stadium has been the site of most of the 2020 postseason for other teams due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For the Rangers, Cuban Adolis Garcia went 2-for-5, with an RBI. Dominican Leody Taveras was 3-1, with three runs scored and two RBIs.

For the Orioles, Dominican Jorge Mateo was 4-for-4, with one run scored and one RBI. Venezuelan Anthony Santander 5-0.