Ian Kinsler, his uniform smeared from collar to knee with infield dirt, held court on hitting for the cycle and setting a franchise record by collecting six hits in a nine-inning game.
A few lockers over, Nelson Cruz answered questions about his grand slam, his six RBIs and the near-miss he had for a second grand slam. Against another wall, both knees wrapped in ice, Marlon Byrd discussed his five-hit game, which would have matched the Rangers' nine-inning record had Kinsler not broken it. They were all amazing single-game performances, but they were just that: single-game performances. Perhaps the most long-range impact for the Rangers, who ended a five-game losing streak Wednesday with a 19-6 win over Baltimore, was to be found in, of all things, an intentional walk.
The recipient was Andruw Jones, who took the walk in the fourth inning two batters before Cruz delivered his game-breaking slam. The message that came with it was clear: Teams once again respect Jones' bat enough to decide they'd rather mess around with other hitters.
Over the past two seasons, no one feared Jones' once-mighty bat. He hit .222 with Atlanta in 2007 and followed it up with a .158 injury-plagued season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Opposing pitchers lined up to take a shot at Jones with runners on base. He had not received an intentional walk since Sept. 11, 2007.
Opponents may be starting to rethink that strategy. A rebuilt swing, courtesy of hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo, helped get Jones off to a 5-for-8 start in which he hit the ball with authority.
On Monday, after Jones doubled and homered, Baltimore closer George Sherrill wanted no part of him with the game on the line and issued an unintentional intentional walk. It brought up Byrd, who struck out to end a 10-9 loss.
On Wednesday, Jones worked his way to a third-inning walk before getting the intentional pass. In the ninth inning, he took a pitch -- perhaps delivered as a message to back off the plate -- high up on the back.
The intentional walk, though, was confirmation Baltimore preferred to throw fastballs to Hank Blalock, Byrd and Cruz with the game on the line than to try to get Jones to chase stuff off the plate. He wasn't buying what they were selling.
"They know how dangerous he is," manager Ron Washington said. "It's clearly getting out that he's gotten his act together. He is a dangerous hitter right now."
RANGERS 19, ORIOLES 6: 2B Ian Kinsler led a cavalcade of Rangers who had career nights at the plate Wednesday.
Kinsler went 6-for-6, hit for the cycle and scored five runs. He's the fourth Ranger to hit for the cycle, joining Oddibe McDowell, Mark Teixeira and Gary Matthews Jr. His six hits set the club record for most hits in a nine-inning game. (he also has seven consecutive at-bats with a hit). Kinsler tied the club record for runs in a game. His 13 total bases from two singles, two doubles, a triple and a homer resulted in the second-highest single-game total in team history.
Kinsler doubled and scored to start the bottom of the first. He homered off LHP Mark Hendrickson with one out in the third, then had two singles in the Rangers' eight-run fourth inning before completing the cycle with a triple off the center field wall in the seventh. He added another double in the ninth.
The win broke a five-game losing streak for the Rangers.
