ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- More than nine years after signing his first professional contract, Pedro Valdes celebrated a milestone.

The 27-year-old native of Puerto Rico belted his first major league homer, a three-run shot in the first inning that sparked the Texas Rangers to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and a sweep of a doubleheader.

A career minor leaguer, Valdes is with his third organization, having been released by the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Before this season, his only major league experience consisted of 23 games with the Cubs in 1996 and 1998.

Prior to tonight, Valdes had played in 14 contests for the Rangers this season, batting .200 with an RBI.

"My approach is just to try to hit it hard and hit a line drive," Valdes said. "I knew that I'd eventually get that first home run as long as I kept playing."

The homer capped the Rangers' four-run first inning and was enough for Kenny Rogers (12-13) to record his first victory since August 8. Rogers snapped a personal four-game losing streak, allowing three runs and seven hits in seven-plus innings with a walk and six strikeouts.

"The kid (Valdes) stepped up and got his first major league home run," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "That was probably the difference in the game, giving us that four-run lead."

The Rangers completed their first doubleheader sweep since September 6, 1999 against the Chicago White Sox. Texas took the opener, 9-1, as Rick Helling allowed only three hits over eight innings.

"The difference tonight was we threw strikes, got the runs in early and let the pitchers do the rest," Oates said.

Rogers rebounded from Thursday's 10-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox, when he squandered a 5-1 lead after retiring the first 13 batters.

"It was nice to hold on to a lead," Rogers said. "I really wanted to make sure that I didn't do what I did in Chicago last week."

After Jeff Zimmerman surrendered a sacrifice fly in the eighth to Delino DeShields, closer John Wetteland made it interesting in the ninth, allowing a two-run double to Greg Myers. But Wetteland struck out Melvin Mora swinging for his 33rd save.

Rookie Jay Spurgeon (1-1) suffered his first major league loss, yielding six runs and four hits over four-plus innings. He also gave up a solo homer to Luis Alicea in the fifth.

"If I get ahead of guys, like most pitchers, I'll win," Spurgeon said. "They're no different than me. I threw 95 miles an hour to get behind guys. I have to get ahead of guys. It doesn't matter how hard you throw."

Spurgeon retired the first two battters in the first, but walked Rusty Greer and Rafael Palmeiro before giving up an RBI single to Ricky Ledee. Valdes homered over the fence in right-center field to make it 4-0.

"He got two out and walked the next two hitters, then he walked right into Valdes's wheelhouse and then again into Alicea's wheelhouse," Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said. "It's typical of a young, inexperienced pitcher."

The Orioles closed within 4-2 on DeShields' two-run single in the third, but the Rangers regained the four-run margin on Ledee's RBI single in the bottom half and Alicea's solo homer in the fifth.