MLB: Texas 5, Baltimore 1

Ryan Dempster dominated the Orioles on four hits over eight innings Monday, staking the Texas Rangers to a 5-1 win over Baltimore. Dempster (2-1) yielded one run, walked two and struck out six after returning to the team following a one-start absence for a personal leave. The right-hander, obtained from the Chicago Cubs in a trade-deadline deal, had given up eight runs in two of his three previous Texas starts but handled the Orioles Monday, tossing 66 of his 111 pitches for strikes. David Murphy delivered a pair of run-scoring singles while Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz and Geovany Soto added RBI for National League West-leading Texas, which took the opener of a three-game series. Miguel Gonzalez (5-3) was touched for four runs on eight hits over five frames for the Orioles, who came into the contest holding the second American League wild-card spot. Adam Jones supplied Baltimore's only RBI with a first-inning single that drove in Nate McLouth.