Mitch Garver's grand slam helps Rangers take 2-0 series edge over Orioles

BALTIMORE — Mitch Garver hit a grand slam, Cody Bradford tossed 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-8 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five American League Division Series.

The Rangers will host Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Garver added an RBI single in his first action of this postseason. Josh Jung had a double and a single and scored twice, and Leody Taveras had two-run double and scored three times for Texas.

Aaron Hicks' three-run homer off Jose Leclerc pulled the Orioles within 11-8 in the bottom of the ninth. Hicks finished with five RBIs.

In his first year with Texas, manager Bruce Bochy has the Rangers on the verge of reaching their first American League Championship Series since 2011.

Meanwhile a top-seeded Orioles team that posted a 53-29 mark from July 1 to the end of the regular season — and went the entire season without being swept in a series — faces elimination.

Baltimore pitchers allowed 11 hits and walked 11 batters, six of whom scored. Corey Seager walked five times and scored twice.

Rookie Gunnar Henderson homered and singled, and Jorge Mateo had four hits for the Orioles.

Bradford (1-0) allowed three hits and struck out four. Starter Jordan Montgomery was lifted after four-plus innings, having allowed five runs — four earned — on nine hits.

Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez (0-1) was pulled after allowing five runs on six hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.

In the Baltimore first, Ryan Mountcastle singled and, with two outs, Henderson singled and Austin Hays walked. Hicks poked a single to right, scoring Mountcastle and Henderson to make it 2-0.

Texas answered with a five-run second. After Nathaniel Lowe walked and Josh Jung singled, Taveras doubled them home to tie the score. After Semien grounded out, Seager walked. Garver hit a tapper in front of the plate and beat Rodriguez's lob throw to first while Taveras scored. Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim added RBI singles to make it 5-2.

In the third, reliever Bryan Baker walked three straight hitters with one out. Jacob Webb came on and Garver greeted him with a grand slam, increasing the lead to 9-2.

The Orioles pulled within 9-4 when Jordan Westburg led off the fourth with a double and scored on Mateo's single. Mateo scored on Mountcastle's sacrifice fly.

—Harvey Valentine, Field Level Media