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  Tuesday, Sep. 12 6:35pm ET
Rangers sweep O's with pitching
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Texas Rangers veterans Rick Helling and Kenny Rogers gave their rookie counterparts on the Baltimore Orioles a clinic on the fine art of pitching Tuesday night.

Rogers pitched seven strong innings for his first win in seven starts as the Rangers completed a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles with a 6-5 victory.

Texas Rangers' Rick Helling throws against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, in Arlington, Texas.  The Rangers beat the Orioles 9-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
Rick Helling won for the first time in six starts since beating Boston on Aug. 12.

Helling threw three-hit ball for eight innings in the 9-1 opening-game victory.

Rogers and Helling combined to walk only one in 15 innings. Meanwhile, Orioles rookie starters John Parrish and Jay Spurgeon walked eight over 5 2/3 innings.

"In both games, we scored early and the veterans did what they are supposed to do, which is throw strikes," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "The pitchers did their jobs."

Rogers (12-13) allowed three runs and seven hits in his first win since Aug. 8, helping the Rangers sweep their only doubleheader of the season. Rogers struck out six and walked one before allowing hits to the first two batters in the eighth.

"It was nice to hold on to a lead," said Rogers, who lost his last four decisions. "I really wanted to make sure I didn't do what I did in Chicago last week (when he took a 5-1 lead into the sixth and got a no-decision)."

John Wetteland earned his 33rd save, despite allowing a two-run double to Greg Myers in the ninth inning.

Texas also took both ends of its last doubleheader on Sept. 6, 1999, over the Chicago White Sox. The Rangers have won seven of their last 10.

"Maybe with the weather cooling off, we're getting our second wind," Oates said. "We hope we can finish strong."

Baltimore was last swept on June 8, 1999, by the Florida Marlins.

Helling (15-11) gave up Brady Anderson's homer leading off the game and just two singles after that, winning for the first time in six starts since beating Boston on Aug. 12.

Helling struck out five and walked none. In his previous five starts, he had a 9.12 ERA.

Neither Parrish nor Spurgeon was able to get past the fifth inning.

Meanwhile, the Rangers' veteran starters shut down the Orioles lineups, dominated by young players.

"They've got a young team out there," said Rangers second baseman Luis Alicea, 3-for-7 with a homer in the doubleheader. "That makes it easier for veteran pitchers."

Anderson went 4-for-7 in the doubleheader with a homer and two doubles.

Spurgeon (1-1) was hurt by five walks and two homers, lasting four innings plus three batters in the fifth. Spurgeon allowed six runs and four hits and struck out one.

In the second game, Texas grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Ricky Ledee's RBI single and rookie Pedro Valdes' three-run homer, the first of his career.

"He (Spurgeon) got two outs, then he walked the next two hitters," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "Then he walked right into Valdes' wheelhouse. (But) he wasn't wild out there, he didn't leave any balls mid-plate. There were positive things to his outing."

Baltimore closed to 4-2 on Delino DeShields' two-run single in the third. Ledee's RBI single in the bottom half and Alicea's leadoff homer in the fifth extended Texas' lead to 6-2.

DeShields' sacrifice fly in the eighth narrowed the deficit to 6-3.

In the opener, Scarborough Green had the first three-hit game of his career, and Bill Haselman went 3-for-4 with a homer and two doubles.

Parrish (2-4) was tagged for five runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings. He has a 22.22 ERA in his last three starts.

Anderson hit Helling's second pitch into the right-field seats for his 17th homer. Helling didn't give up another hit until Greg Myers led off the seventh with a single. Anderson added a two-out single in the eighth.

Game notes
Haselman will have surgery Monday to repair a partial tear of his right rotator cuff. Haselman has had the problem for several years, and team doctors decided to have the surgery in order for him to be ready for spring training. Haselman will continue to play through the weekend. ... The Orioles split their first three doubleheaders this season. ... Anderson has led off games with home runs 42 times. ... Parrish was making his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Sept. 5. He had the shortest outing of his eight big league starts. ... Orioles DH Jeff Conine left in the fourth inning of the first game after mildly spraining his left ankle while running out a popup in the first. ... Ruben Sierra, called up from Triple-A Oklahoma on Sept. 5, went 0-for-5 in his first home start for the Rangers since Aug. 29, 1992.
 


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RECAPS
Texas 9
Baltimore 1

Texas 6
Baltimore 5

(2nd game)

Boston 8
Cleveland 6

NY Yankees 10
Toronto 2

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Chi. White Sox 3

Anaheim 5
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