When Trey Mancini stepped to the plate with two on and none out in the eighth inning of a tied game, he did so as baseball’s leader in grounding into double plays. When he fell behind 0-2, he was in position for what would’ve been his 19th strikeout in 15 games.
Mancini’s go-ahead double gave the Orioles their first lead of Saturday night, one they added onto in a 6-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Baltimore (7-8) will go for the sweep Sunday.
After inning-opening singles from DJ Stewart and Maikel Franco, Mancini’s double put two in scoring position for Ryan Mountcastle, who was playing first base with Mancini serving as the designated hitter.