Desmond contributes RBI as Rangers rally past Orioles

To get a sense of how badly Ian Desmond wants to win, wants to make every play and wants to be the best player he can be, flash back to Monday at Safeco Field and the two-run homer Nelson Cruz hit.

Desmond was playing center field when Cruz’s drive headed toward the fence. Desmond raced back, leaped, came up empty as the ball cleared the fence, and then acted as if he just missed making a terrific catch.

He was closer than many would have come, but in the immediate moments afterward his thoughts were with what to do next time or what he could have done better, like using the wall as a step ladder to thrust him higher into the air. He also felt for Keone Kela, who had surrendered the home run.

That is who Desmond is. Superb athlete. Unmatched work ethic. High baseball IQ. Supreme teammate. And, entering Thursday, a .103 hitter.

He isn’t running from his offensive struggles or making excuses. He could, as he’s learning a new position, a new league and how his new team likes to operate day to day.

All Desmond knows is that he needs to work his way out of his season-opening funk. He kept trying Thursday night, and a little infield hit during the Rangers’ five-run sixth inning might be what gets him going.

His single in the Rangers’ 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles was one of five consecutive hits. It brought in a run for his first RBI of the season and helped the Rangers win for the 13th time when Cole Hamels was their starting pitcher.

“It’s all about getting a pitch in the zone and taking a good swing at it,” Desmond said. “It’s certainly not what I expected, especially coming off how much work I put in in the off-season and how spring training went. I did have a little bit more optimism coming into this season.

“At the same time, I feel good at the plate. Obviously, the results aren’t there. I’ve just missed a couple balls. I’ve made some good in-game adjustments. But I’m trying to evaluate my swing on a daily basis and not necessarily rely on results alone.”

Maybe that’s helping keep him sane, because the results have been dreadful. Desmond went 2 for 27 on the Rangers’ seven-game road trip and entered the opener of a seven-game homestand in an 0-for-14 skid that hit 0-for-16.

He hadn’t driven in a run in 15 games, dating to Sept. 27 while with Washington, but Chris Davis didn’t have a play on Desmond grounder’s to his right and Adrian Beltre scored the tying run.

It’s not like Desmond hasn’t had chances. Of the five runners the Rangers left on base Wednesday, four were left by Desmond, a three-time Silver Slugger who has hit at least 19 homers the past four seasons.

But he has also batted only .244 with 370 strikeouts the past two. The Rangers, led by Desmond’s biggest fan, believe that it’s only a matter of time until he begins to make an impact in their lineup.

“Ian’s got [three] Silver Sluggers in his trophy case. This is a really good hitter,” manager Jeff Banister said. “He’s probably a little in-between early on, but the swing is good. I’ve felt the past couple games when he’s barreled the ball, he’s a little closer.”

The Orioles scored runs in the third, fourth and sixth against Hamels, who exited down 3-1 with one out in the sixth after Desmond slid but couldn’t catch a single by J.J. Hardy. Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) entered, threw two pitches, and got an inning-ending double play.

Nomar Mazara open the Rangers’ sixth with a double, and after a Prince Fielder pop-up and a Beltre single, scored on Mitch Moreland’s bloop double. After Desmond’s hit, Rougned Odor doubled in Moreland and Desmond, and Elvis Andrus followed with an RBI single.

Moreland has reached in all nine of his starts but entered Thursday batting only .194.

“Any time you haven’t been getting the desired results, it’s one of those things that it just takes one to get you back in that positive mind-set,” Banister said.

Desmond’s defense in the outfield continues to receive high marks, though an error Wednesday contributed to an unearned run in a 4-2 loss to Seattle and he misplayed a Nolan Reimold double in the fifth inning Thursday. He was fully accountable for that, too.

It was apparent during the road trip that opposing teams are not going to test his arm. He has also shown an ability to chase down balls in the outfield, a by-product of the tireless work he put in during spring training.

That work is what he thinks will get his bat jump-started, too.

“I just feel like I want to get my swing right,” he said. “I’m ready to be productive. Everybody, whether they’re an accountant or whatever you are, you want to be good at what you do. I know what I can do and I’m excited for it to show.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Desmond contributes RBI as Rangers rally past Orioles."