AP

BALTIMORE AFTER having its unbeaten run squelched by a rookie pitcher, the Texas Rangers returned to form with a power-hitting display worthy of the team that owns the best record in the majors.

Adrian Beltre homered to cap a six-run third inning, and the Rangers used a 13-1 rout on Saturday night to gain a satisfying doubleheader split.

In the first game, Orioles rookie Zach Britton took a two-hitter into the eighth inning, and Baltimore got homers from Nick Markakis and Mark Reynolds in a 5-0 victory that ruined the Rangers’ stature as the last undefeated team in the big leagues.

Eager to rebound after managing only five hits in the opener, Texas unloaded on Orioles starter Jake Arrieta (1- 1) in the nightcap.

Arrieta gave up eight runs and six hits, including homers to Beltre and Mike Napoli, in 3 1-3 innings.

Beltre went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer in the ninth to finish with four RBIs.

“That’s what we can do,” manager Ron Washington said of the Rangers’ 13-hit attack.

Matt Harrison (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in seven innings for Texas (7- 1).

Harrison retired 18 straight after giving up a secondinning homer to Adam Jones.

“We’re not going to get shut out very often,” Harrison said.

“The guys are going to swing the bat and they did that the second game.

They gave me a good cushion and I was doing what I can to get them back in the dugout so they could keep swinging the bats.” Texas took control in the third.

After Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton hit two-run singles, Beltre came to the plate with a .103 batting average and drove an 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall.

“Bell needed to get loose, and he got loose,” Washington said.

Napoli hit a solo shot in the fourth that traveled an estimated 424 feet.

Mitch Moreland followed with a single, and Ian Kinsler greeted Josh Rupe with a run-scoring double for an 8-1 lead.

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy left after the second inning with a sore muscle in his left rib cage.

A similar injury caused him to miss the previous two games, and this one should land him on the 15-day disabled list.

“He’ll probably get an MRI on Monday to make sure what we are dealing with, but I look for him to be a DL candidate,” manager Buck Showalter said.

In the opener, the Rangers were seeking to match the franchise-record 7-0 start of the 1996 club.

But the defending AL champions fell behind 5-0 after three innings and never threatened to make up the difference.

“The first two innings they put the runs on the board,” Washington said, “and the kid did the rest.”