Behind by Five, Orioles Rally to Edge Rangers

B.J. Surhoff hit a go-ahead homer as the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Texas, 8-7, Monday night at Baltimore. It was the Orioles’ first victory against the Rangers in seven games this season.

Mike Devereaux also homered and Roberto Alomar had three hits for the Orioles, who had lost nine of their previous 11.

Juan Gonzalez homered for the Rangers, who were trying for their first four-game sweep in Baltimore since 1972.

Baltimore trailed, 5-0, in the third inning, but chipped away and finally took the lead in the seventh. Alomar doubled off Rick Helling (0-1), stole third and scored the tying run on Rafael Palmeiro’s sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Surhoff hit his sixth homer.

Jimmy Haynes (1-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit relief, Jesse Orosco retired Rusty Greer in the eighth with the tying run on third and Randy Myers got three outs for his sixth save.

Baltimore began its comeback by scoring three in the third. Devereaux singled in a run, Alomar hit a run-scoring groundout and Palmeiro a two-out RBI single.

Texas scored two runs in the fifth off Haynes when Greer tripled in a run and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mark McLemore.

Baltimore closed to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning and chased starter Roger Pavlik. Devereaux led off with a solo homer and Surhoff hit a two-run double.

Gonzalez opened the scoring with his fifth homer, a two-run drive in the first off Kent Mercker. That gave him 25 RBIs, a Ranger record for April.

Minnesota 11, Kansas City 6--Dave Hollins hit a two-run homer in the seventh as the Twins rallied from a 5-0 deficit at Minneapolis. Hollins drove in four runs as the Twins stopped the Royals’ three-game winning streak.

Marty Cordova had a bunt single in the seventh off Terry Clark (1-1) and Hollins followed with his seventh homer, an opposite-field drive to left.

“That’s the kind of team we are,” said Cordova, filling in as the cleanup hitter while Kirby Puckett is out with blurred vision. “We never give up. We have a feeling we can come back.”

Greg Hansell (2-0) gave up one run in two innings after relieving Jose Parra to start the sixth.