Ranger Rounding 3rd: Ryan Rua gets a high-five from third base coach Tony Beasley after belting a three-run homer.

After being swept by the best team in baseball, the Rangers are now playing the worst team in baseball.

That sure helps the outcome of a game.

Only one team in the American League has a worse batting average than the Rangers, and that’s the Orioles.

The Rangers are twelfth in team ERA in the A.L. Baltimore is thirteenth.

The Orioles pitching is so bad, in fact, that the three worst hitters on the Rangers each collected a base hit: Carlos Tocci, Joey Gallo, and Ryan Rua.

Ryan Rua has been struggling to remain relevant, even struggling to remain on the team, having been shipped to Triple-A on a few occasions.

You don’t usually have an occasion to pinch hit a guy who’s a .182 hitter. Unless the guy he is filling in for is a .086 hitter.

That rare occurrence happened last night. With two on in the seventh, Ryan Rua was called on to pinch hit for Carlos Tocci. He lined the second pitch he saw over the left field wall for a three-run homer, and a 4-1 Rangers lead.

In this remedial battle of last-place teams, Texas hung on to win it 5-4.

The Rangers have two more against the Orioles before the All-Star break. Two games for the offense to pad their stats.

They are going to need it, too. Martin Perez returns today.

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TODAY’S GAME:

Martin Perez (2-3, 9.67) vs. Yefry Ramirez (0-3, 3.93)
Game time: 6:15

The Rangers have never faced Ramirez.
How the Orioles hit against Perez.