Rangers Lose Again In Toronto
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TORONTO — The All-Star break had its benefits and its drawbacks for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager John Gibbons feels that the four days off helped his left fielder, Melky Cabrera, but might have worked against his starting pitcher, left-hander Mark Buehrle.
It turned out fine for Gibbons on Sunday as the Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 9-6 for their second win in a row.
Cabrera hit the tie-breaking solo homer in the seventh inning and singled in two insurance runs in the eighth as the Blue Jays (51-48) took the rubber match in the three-game series.
Catcher Dioner Navarro also homered for Toronto while right fielder Daniel Robertson drove in a career-best four runs for the Rangers, including the two that tied the game in the sixth.
Cabrera’s heroics made up for Buehrle’s inability to hold a 5-2 lead when he committed a bases-loaded balk when his cleat caught and he took a tumble in the Rangers’ three-run sixth inning.
“I think the All-Star break did him wonders (for Cabrera).” Gibbons said. “He’s been out there every day. It did most guys some good. His hand speed and bat speed look a little bit better and that’s the key to hitting if you get a good swing.”
Buehrle allowed eight hits, three walks and five runs in six innings and has not won
since June 1, a span of eight starts. He had not started since July 11.
“He was off a little,” Gibbons said. “Part of that is that he hadn’t pitched in a while. … He’s a command guy, He was missing up.”
Right-hander Todd Redmond (1-4) pitched one inning to pick up the win. Right-hander Neftali Feliz (0-1) took the loss after allowing Cabrera’s 12th homer of the season.
Left-hander Aaron Loup got the final out of the ninth for his fourth save of the season after Casey Janssen, who missed the first two games of the series because of illness, allowed three hits, including an RBI single by Chris Gimenez.
“We have to have some shutdown innings,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “That’s what you have to do, that’s the name of the game of baseball. You score runs, you have to put up a zero. Every time we scored, we just couldn’t stop them.”
Rangers right-hander Nick Tepesch allowed nine hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings and did not factor in the decision.
“It wasn’t my best,” Tepesch said. “They put some good swings on some balls and I also made some mistakes in there, too. You get into some trouble and your objective is to minimize the damage and get out of there with as little as possible. … I probably should have done a better job of minimizing the damage.”
Navarro hit his sixth homer of the season to lead off a three-run second inning. First baseman Dan Johnson doubled with one out, third baseman Steve Tolleson was hit by a pitch and right fielder Anthony Gose singled to left to load the bases. Shortstop Jose Reyes lined a two-run single to right.
The Rangers (39-59) scored twice in the third. Center fielder Leonys Martin led off with a single and third baseman Adam Rosales walked. Second baseman Rougned Odor sacrificed the runners to second and third and Robertson hit a two-run single to right.
The Blue Jays took a 4-2 lead in the home third when center fielder Colby Rasmus rolled an RBI single up the middle through a drawn-in infield. It scored designated hitter Jose Bautista, who walked with one out and took third on Navarro’s double.
The Blue Jays increased their lead to 5-2 in the fifth on Johnson’s sacrifice fly against reliever Shawn Tolleson. The right-hander replaced Tepesch with the bases loaded after Cabrera singled, Bautista doubled and Rasmus walked.
Catcher Geovany Soto started the Rangers sixth with a one-out single. Martin followed with an infield single to second. The original out call on Martin was reversed after a video review. Rosales hit a sinking liner to left that became the second out on Cabrera’s fine catch. Odor singled to load the bases.
With Robertson batting, Buehrle fell and held onto the ball on a pitch attempt.
“The part around the rubber is a little deeper than it usually is so my cleat caught,” Buehrle said. “It’s on your mind that I need to throw that ball there and get it close to the catcher and not get a balk called but I was falling down and I was more worried about not getting hurt. It’s embarrassing.”
A run scored and the runners advanced to second and third. Robertson’s single tied the game but Buehrle picked him off first.
“We had Buehrle on the ropes there, and then I let him off,” Robertson said. “You have to keep your focus.”
The Blue Jays added three runs in the eighth against right-hander Matt West. Second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, who had two hits to extend his career-best hitting streak to eight games, singled in one run and Cabrera singled in the other two to stretch the lead to 9-5.
