Heim homers, Heaney solid as Rangers beat Orioles to avoid sweep

Jonah Heim hit a three-run homer, Andrew Heaney pitched two-hit ball over five scoreless innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep in a postseason rematch from last year.

Anthony Santander closed the gap with his 27th home run and third of the series, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, before Texas held on to finish the season 2-5 against the Orioles. The Rangers swept Baltimore in the AL Division Series last year on the way to their first World Series title.

The Orioles won three of four at home in late June, with Texas salvaging the finale in that series as well.

“The last thing you want to do is get swept here at home,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “They had their way with us the first two games, so you're trying to stop things.”

Heaney (4-10) walked three and struck out four in the left-hander's 14th consecutive start of allowing three or fewer earned runs. The longest such streak of Heaney's career has dropped his ERA from 6.26 to 3.60.

Bochy visited the mound with two outs in the fifth and Heaney's pitch count at 95 after a double by Gunnar Henderson. Adley Rutschman grounded out to third on Heaney's 100th pitch.

“(Bochy) just came out to see how he was doing, but he kept interrupting him, trying to get the scouting report down,” said Heim, the catcher. “I thought that was pretty funny. I kind of lightened the mood, got everybody on the same page.”

Heim was in a 1-for-17 slump when he put Texas ahead 3-0 with two outs in the fourth, pulling the first pitch from Dean Kremer, an 85 mph splitter that stayed in the middle of the plate, into the Texas bullpen in right-center field. Wyatt Langford and Nathaniel Lowe had walked.

Kremer (4-6) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. It was the right-hander's first appearance against the Rangers since giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings in his postseason debut last October in the Rangers' ALDS-clinching 7-1 victory at home.

“I thought Dean was good. The two-out walk to Lowe hurt before the homer,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “But I thought he had good stuff and just made kind of a bad pitch to Heim.”

Josh Sborz struck out three in his second consecutive two-inning outing after missing nearly two months in his second stint on the injured list this season with a right rotator cuff strain.

After Santander's homer off David Robertson, Kirby Yates struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to remain perfect in 17 save chances. It was Yates' first outing since throwing a scoreless inning in the AL's 5-3 victory in the All-Star Game at his home ballpark Tuesday.

Texas star Corey Seager extended his on-base streak to 21 games, the longest active streak in the majors, with a single in the first.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: Ramón Urías was a late scratch at third base because of neck soreness with Baltimore trying to get a day off for the shortstop Henderson, a first-time All-Star in Texas this week. Jorge Mateo switched from short to third, and Jordan Westburg from second to third.

Rangers: Bochy said the club would wait to decide whether to give RHP Max Scherzer extra days off. The three-time Cy Young Award winner exited his start Saturday night after two innings with arm fatigue. ... Bochy said RHP Dane Dunning (right shoulder soreness) was ready for a return after a strong rehab outing at Triple-A Round Rock. Bochy was less definitive on the status of RHP Tyler Mahle (elbow surgery rehab), who appeared in the same game as Dunning on Saturday night.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Albert Suárez (5-3, 2.82 ERA) is scheduled for the opener of a three-game series at Miami on Tuesday night. Suárez has had decisions in his past six starts (3-3).

Rangers: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-5, 3.52) is set for the opener of a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox at home. He has made 16 starts but hasn't pitched in a week and a half.