Rangers at Blue Jays
The Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays continue to prove the margin separating the two clubs is razor thin. The Blue Jays, who beat the Rangers in five games in the American League Division Series last fall, will try to ride the momentum of a dramatic victory to another win when they host Texas in the third of a four-game series on Wednesday.
Rangers rookie Nomar Mazara played the hero with a go-ahead home run and an outfield assist in the eighth inning of Monday’s series-opening 2-1 win, but the Blue Jays struck back on Tuesday. Texas carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth before Justin Smoak forced extra innings with a solo blast, and the first baseman followed that up with a two-run shot in the 10th to win it. The home runs were the first two of the season for Smoak, who is 5-for-8 in the last two games after entering the series batting .189. The loss was just the second in seven games for the Rangers, who have limited opponents to three or fewer runs in six of those seven contests.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Colby Lewis (2-0, 3.19 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.59)
Lewis recorded four quality starts in his first five outings and is coming off his longest outing of the season – a seven-inning stint against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The California native surrendered two runs and nine hits without recording a strikeout in that outing. Lewis came out of the bullpen in Game 4 of the ALDS last fall and allowed one run on three hits and three walks in three innings.
Sanchez followed up his worst outing of the season with his best, scattering six hits over seven scoreless innings in a win at Tampa Bay on Friday. The 23-year-old was lit up for six runs in 4 1/3 innings against Oakland on April 22 but allowed one or zero earned runs in each of his other four outings. Sanchez appeared in all five games of the ALDS against Texas, allowing one run on a total of three hits in 5 1/3 innings, and earned the win in the decisive Game 5.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers RHP Yu Darvish (elbow) threw in the bullpen on Tuesday and is expected to make a rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
2. Toronto RF Jose Bautista is 0-for-12 with six strikeouts in the last three games.
3. Texas acquired C Bobby Wilson from the Tigers in exchange for LHP Chad Bell on Tuesday.