Melvin Mora didn't know it, but he reached a milestone Sunday.
The veteran hit career home run No. 150 Sunday afternoon, driving in a pair of runs with a 420-foot shot in the first inning. It extended his hitting streak to eight games, and combined with a single and double later in the game, Mora has multi-hit performances in his last five games. But Mora was surprised to hear that his first-inning home run was the 150th of his career.
"It's a pretty good feeling," Mora said. "I didn't know until now. I knew I needed two more before this series. I'm glad I did it already."
Mora, who is batting .265 with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs, has been one of the pleasant surprises in the Orioles lineup. He's batted third for most of the second half, as one of the key components of a lineup not projected by analysts in the preseason to provide much pop.
"Nobody in the beginning gave a penny for us hitting for power," Mora said. "They were always talking about getting a 40-home run power hitter. You have six or seven guys hitting 20 homers, you just need to concentrate on pitching because you'll have the run support you need."
RANGERS 15, ORIOLES 7: Texas scored four in the first and six in the fifth to prevent a sweep. The two clubs combined for 34 hits, and the Orioles fell to 2-17 on Sundays.
