Rangers 6, Blue Jays 4
Adrian Beltre belted a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning to help Texas beat host Toronto to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Beltre, who had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, deposited a two-out pitch from Neil Walker (1-1) over the right-field wall to give the Rangers a 5-4 lead. David Murphy added a homer in the eighth and Nelson Cruz also went deep as the Rangers ended a three-game losing skid.
Neal Cotts (2-0) got three outs for the victory and Joe Nathan worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 19th save in 20 chances as Texas halted the Blue Jays’ three-game winning streak.
Toronto scored four times in the third against Justin Grimm on Edwin Encarnacion’s single and Adam Lind’s three-run homer to left-center field. Cruz homered in the fourth and Chris McGuiness rapped a run-scoring double for his first major-league hit to pull Texas within 4-2.
Cruz had a run-scoring single in the fifth and Texas tied the game later in the inning when Craig Gentry stole second and Josh Thole’s throw went into center field to allow Leury Garcia to score from third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Grimm allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, while Toronto’s Josh Johnson gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. … Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista went 3-for-4 with a walk and was ejected after striking out for the second out in the ninth with two men on base. … Texas placed RHP Alexi Ogando (shoulder) and LHP Michael Kirkman (skin cancer) on the disabled list and recalled RHPs Josh Lindblom and Kyle McClellan.