Kumar Rocker allowed one run on four hits over a season-high six innings and the Texas Rangers began a nine-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Rocker (1-1) walked one and struck out five for Texas, which returned home after playing 16 of its first 22 games on the road. Cole Winn, Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who have lost three of their last five.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz singled, stole second, moved to third on an error, and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single up the middle.

Texas moved ahead with two runs in the second against Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1), who had not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings.

Joc Pederson singled to begin the inning, went to third on Josh Jung’s double to center, and scored on Evan Carter’s single. After Danny Jansen struck out, Jung scored from third on Josh Smith’s sacrifice fly.

The Pirates put two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but Rocker escaped unscathed when Carter reached over the center-field wall to rob Cruz of a three-run homer.

Texas tacked on three runs and knocked Mlodzinski out of the game in the fifth. Smith hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Brandon Nimmo’s fly out, and scored on Ezequiel Duran’s double.

Wilber Dotel replaced Mlodzinski after Corey Seager delivered an RBI single to center. Jake Burger greeted Dotel with a single and Joc Pederson walked to load the bases before Seager scored on Jung’s force out.

Mlodzinski allowed five runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings while throwing a season-high 93 pitches. He walked two and struck out six.

Mangum singled with one out in the seventh and was stranded after Konnor Griffin flied out and Henry Davis fanned on three pitches.

Texas left fielder Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right forearm tightness and was replaced by Duran.

–Field Level Media

Maikel Garcia scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals snapped their eight-game losing streak with 6-5 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.

Ryan Helsey (0-2) walked Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. to open the ninth of the 5-5 contest. The runners reached second and third on a wild pitch, and Garcia darted home to score the winner on another wild one pitch from Helsey — his second of the inning and Baltimore’s fourth of the game — that bounced onto the infield grass.

Kyle Isbel had three hits and Michael Massey clubbed a tying solo homer in the eighth for the Royals, who overcame an early 3-0 hole for their first win since April 11.

Lucas Erceg (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning as Kansas City evened the three-game set heading into the Wednesday afternoon finale.

Adley Rutschman came off the 10-day injured list to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the eighth for the Orioles, who have lost six of eight.

Kansas City’s Kris Bubic opened the second inning by allowing a single to Jeremiah Jackson and a walk to Weston Watson. With one out, Coby Mayo sent a drive well into the left field seats for a 3-0 Baltimore lead.

Those were only runs yielded by Bubic over 6 1/3 innings. He permitted five hits and three walks while striking out three.

Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of the second. Carter Jensen doubled, went to third on Shane Baz’s wild pitch and scored via a sacrifice fly by Massey.

The Royals tied the contest in the fifth. Isbel doubled and scored on a single by Garcia, who eventually came home courtesy of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly.

Kansas City took the lead in the seventh when Isbel doubled down the left line, went to third on another Baz wild pitch and scored on Witt’s sacrifice fly to right.

The Orioles regained the lead in the eighth. Rutschman, with a man aboard, barely cleared the left-center-field wall off Matt Strahm to make it 5-4 with his first homer of the season.

Massey’s towering homer leading off the bottom of the eighth was first hit allowed by Baltimore’s Rico Garcia in 12 appearances this year.

Baz yielded four runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He fanned four and walked two.

–Field Level Media

Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series.

The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.

The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.

ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.

The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.

Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play.

Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series.

Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.

Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.

Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.

Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.

–Field Level Media