Pete Alonso Homers Twice As Baltimore Orioles End Texas Rangers’ Four-Game Winning Streak

ARLINGTON, Texas — Pete Alonso hit 2 home runs and drove in 4 runs Sunday as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 10-5 at Globe Life Field, snapping a four-game Texas winning streak.

Baltimore had lost 2-1 in each of the first two games of the series and scored just 3 runs during a three-game losing streak. The Orioles moved to 57-61 and sit 2 games out in the American League wild-card race. Texas fell to 59-59, holding the final AL wild card and sitting second in the West. Sunday was the eighth time in the last 31 days the Rangers have returned to .500.

Kumar Rocker was charged with 6 runs in three-plus innings. Over his three previous starts, he had allowed 5 runs total.

Kumar Rocker’s First-Inning Lapse

Baltimore scored twice in the first before Texas came to bat. Jake Burger made a diving stop on Dylan Beavers‘ hard-hit, two-out grounder, and Rocker stayed on the mound watching the play rather than breaking for the bag. Beavers beat him to first, forcing in a run. Former Ranger Leody Taveras followed with a run-scoring double.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Rocker knows the responsibility and that the staff has gone over it with him before, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“It was a momentum-changing play,” Schumaker said. “It’s just a mental lapse that happened at the wrong time. It’s something he knows. It’s not like it hasn’t been talked about. He’s done a really good job of cleaning a lot of stuff up. It’s the first time that’s happened this year, and I’m hoping it doesn’t happen again.”

Rocker had the same problem in 2025. He twice failed to cover first on ground balls in a start at Tampa Bay, and a day later he was optioned to the minors to work on fielding his position and holding runners. The Rangers recalled him 10 days later.

Baserunners went 16-for-16 stealing against Rocker to open his career. Two of the last 8 have been caught.

Rocker said he did not feel like he showed up ready to play.

“I think [my issue] was more mental than anything,” Rocker said. “I didn’t feel like I showed up ready to play, and it kind of carried onto the field and set the tone. I made a costly error, just allowed those runs, and then just didn’t give the guys any momentum to begin with. That’s just on me.”

Alonso’s first homer came in the second inning, a two-run drive off the left-field foul pole against Rocker. Colton Cowser, who was born in Houston, also went deep. Baltimore had 5 runs off Rocker through 2 innings.

Texas answered in the third. Brandon Nimmo hit a two-out, three-run homer off Baltimore starter Cade Povich, who had been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Aug. 4.

Rocker walked No. 9 hitter Carlos Narváez to open the fourth. Narváez, acquired from the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 3 in the trade that sent Adley Rutschman to Boston, had not drawn a walk in 53 major league plate appearances dating to last season.

The Splitter the Rangers Want To See

Rocker has thrown the splitter sparingly. He used it 5 times in an early July start and 6 more against the Chicago White Sox after the All-Star break. It has been absent across his last three starts, a stretch in which he has allowed 11 earned runs in 15 innings with a 1.80 WHIP.

Schumaker said Rocker is more comfortable going to the slider in leverage spots and has not wanted to get burned by the third pitch.

“We’ve talked about it since spring training, that we wanted to see it more,” Schumaker explained. “It’s been good in bullpens. So, it’s just trust with it, I think. He’s more comfortable in leverage spots with the slider because the slider is a really good pitch, and he doesn’t want to get burned with his third pitch yet. But the more he uses it, the better it’s going to be.

“It’s a really good third pitch and hopefully it’s part of his bullpen session again next time. Hopefully, he utilizes it more, especially against lefties. I think it’s going to be a weapon at some point. He’s just got to use it more.”

Jordan Montgomery’s First Outing Since 2024

Jordan Montgomery relieved Rocker in the fourth and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk over 4 innings, throwing 79 pitches. Alonso hit a two-run homer to left-center off him in the fourth. Tyler O’Neill also homered for Baltimore.

It was Montgomery’s first major league appearance since September 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2025 and missed all of last season. Texas signed him as a free agent in mid-February to a one-year, $1.25 million contract, and the Rangers reinstated him from the 60-day injured list Friday, designating right-hander Nolan Kingham for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.

Montgomery made 8 rehab starts between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock and posted a 3.75 ERA. In his last outing on Aug. 2, he threw 5 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts for Round Rock.

Baltimore’s Yaramil Hiraldo threw 2 scoreless innings in relief for the first win of his major league career.

Alonso’s first multihomer game with Baltimore was the 27th of his career. He signed with the Orioles as a free agent last December after 7 seasons with the New York Mets, during which he was named an All-Star five times.

Texas activated MacKenzie Gore from the paternity list Saturday and optioned right-hander Ben Peoples to Round Rock. Gore had gone on the paternity list Wednesday, the day the Rangers activated left-hander Cody Bradford for his season debut.

Gore (6-9, 4.55 ERA) starts Monday against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Reid Detmers (3-8, 4.12) in Anaheim. First pitch is set for 8:38 p.m. CT.