Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs. Rangers, 1:05

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty ImagesThe Orioles haven’t exactly been handled this series. But if they’re not careful, they could be swept away nonetheless.

After losing a pair of games by a total of three runs - and blowing a late lead in one of them - the Orioles were less competitive in last night’s 9-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Now Baltimore has a final shot to hold off a sweep at home and gain just a bit of momentum heading into its next series with the NL-best Los Angeles Dodgers.

Unfortunately, however, to do this the Orioles will have to go up against Texas’s best pitcher. Mike Minor is 12-8 with a 3.12 ERA, and 180 strikeouts in 181.2 innings. The 31-year-old has faced the Orioles once…