Rangers Defense Leads To Loss

{fshare id=2527}

The Texas Rangers finally had a defensive letdown Tuesday night in the 8-7 loss at Toronto.  After building a 5-0 lead, the Rangers committed 2 costly errors which allowed the Blue Jays to come back and win the game.

Texas scored 5 runs in the second inning on 5 hits, a walk, and a stolen base.  Toronto would close the gap with a 4-run third inning, on the power of 2 home runs given up by Rangers starter Neftali Feliz and 2 walks. 

Feliz struggled with control throughout the game, giving up 6 walks in 5 innings.  (Feliz was pulled after 2 consecutive walks to start the bottom of the 6th.)

The Rangers’ defensive struggles came in the 7th inning, when shortstop Elvis Andrus makes his first error in 54 games, putting the leadoff runner on 1st base.  Two batters later, catcher Mike Napoli bobbles a bunt to load the bases.  All three of those runners score.   Reliever Alexi Ogando makes a wild pitch to put another runner in scoring position before ending the inning.

Down 7-6, the Rangers come back in the 9th to tie the game on a Michael Young single which scored Ian Kinsler.  ‘

With the score tied at 7-7, Mike Adams gives up a game-winning home run to Brett Lawrie in the bottom of the 9th.  

The Rangers (17-7) finish the series with Toronto this afternoon before travelling to Cleveland on Friday.