ARLINGTON, Texas — As the Orioles looked ahead to what the coming weeks might hold for them after Trey Mancini was traded to the Houston Astros, many noted it created an opportunity for others to step up.
Many an Oriole did exactly that in Monday’s 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, coming hours after Mancini, their longest-tenured player and a fan favorite, was dealt to Houston for two pitching prospects in a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in advance of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
Cedric Mullins smacked a home run the other way to open the game, quickly flushing away the emotional carryover from the afternoon swap. He added an RBI single the next inning, scoring Terrin Vavra, a rookie who started in left field and reached on an infield single for his first major league hit. A bloop from Anthony Santander and a hard grounder from Ryan Mountcastle gave Baltimore (52-51) a 4-0 lead two innings in.
