BALTIMORE- Kevin Millwood and three relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Texas Rangers capitalized on one shaky inning by Kris Benson to slip past the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 on Friday night.

After scoring 15 runs one night earlier, the Rangers got their only runs on fourth-inning sacrifice flies by Michael Young and Mark Teixeira. That, however, was enough to provide Texas with its third straight victory.

Baltimore got its lone run on a sacrifice fly by Melvin Mora.

Millwood (9-5) allowed one run and four hits in six innings to earn his first win in four starts since June 16. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.

Former Oriole Rick Bauer worked a perfect seventh, Francisco Cordero gave up two singles in the eighth and Akinori Otsuka closed it for his 18th save.

The Rangers have allowed four runs or fewer in seven straight games, the longest current run in the majors. They are 5-2 in that span.

Benson (9-8) gave up four hits in his second complete game of the season. The right-hander has lost three straight starts, but he probably deserved a better fate in this one.

The Rangers managed only one extra-base hit, stranded three runners and went down in order four times. On Thursday, they had 19 hits, including six homers, three by Teixeira.

After failing to get a hit in the first three innings, Texas took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Gary Matthews led off with an infield hit and took third on a double by Mark DeRosa before Young and Teixeira delivered run-scoring fly balls.

The Orioles got only one runner past first base before closing to 2-1 in the sixth. Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts singled, and a two-strike sacrifice bunt by Brandon Fahey put runners on second and third. Mora hit a sacrifice fly and Miguel Tejada walked, but Millwood avoided further damage by retiring Ramon Hernandez on a fly ball.

Roberts singled off Cordero with one out in the eighth and was caught stealing before Fahey singled. Mora then hit into a fielder’s choice.

Notes: The Orioles optioned RHP Daniel Cabrera and RHP Sendy Rleal to Triple-A Ottawa and recalled LHP Adam Loewen and RHP Eddy Rodriguez from the same club. … DeRosa’s double was the 216th by Texas, tops in the majors. … Tejada grounded into his major league-leading 23rd double play in the fourth inning. … Roberts’ sixth-inning single snapped a 1-for-25 skid.

AP-ES-07-14-06 2134EDT