Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Hours after announcing manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season, the Orioles absorbed the most lopsided loss in franchise history and set a team record for hits allowed in a game (29). The Rangers set a team record for runs scored in a doubleheader — before the second game even started. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vasquez, the bottom two batters in Texas’ lineup, each homered twice and finished with seven RBIs.

Texas had 57 at-bats, tying the AL record for a nine-inning game set by Milwaukee in its 1992 rout of Toronto. The Rangers added five points to their team batting average, raising it to .258. They finished with more runs than outs made (27). Baltimore went from seventh in the AL with a 4.39 ERA to 11th at 4.60.

Wes Littleton entered the game in relief for Texas in the last of the seventh, with his team already ahead 14-3. He earned a save by pitching for at least three innings, shutting out the Orioles in the final three innings while his teammates scored another 16 insurance runs.

In game two of the doubleheader series, the Rangers again defeated the Orioles, but by a score of 9-7.