Struggling bullpen loses again as Rangers fall 4-3
TORONTO (AP) - These are trying times for the Texas Rangers' bullpen.
Russell Martin singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Blue Jays beat Texas 4-3 on Wednesday night, Toronto's second straight last at-bat victory over the Rangers.
Rangers relievers have nine losses this season, tied with Toronto for the most in the majors.
Texas lost 3-1 in 10 innings Tuesday on Justin Smoak's second home run of the game. The Rangers are 0-5 in games decided in the last at-bat.
"It's obviously tough, not what we show up to do," manager Jeff Banister said.
Texas has lost two straight after winning five of six. The Rangers are 5-8 on the road and have lost six of their past seven away from home.
"We've got to find a way to dig deep and find a little resilience here," Banister said.
Roberto Osuna (1-0) worked one inning for the win.
Edwin Encarnacion singled off Tony Barnette (1-2) to begin the ninth and was replaced by pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera. Smoak walked, Troy Tulowitzki popped up and Kevin Pillar walked to load the bases for Martin, who drove a ball beyond the reach of Nomar Mazara into the right field corner.
Barnette blamed poor control for the two costly walks.
"It's tough luck," he said. "I lost a little bit of control. I've got to be able to keep the team in it and give them a chance. I didn't do that tonight."
Martin finished 2 for 4, raising his average to .169.
"He needed that," manager John Gibbons said of Martin's winning hit. "We needed that more as a team."
Texas opened a 2-0 lead in the first. Adrian Beltre hit an RBI single and Ian Desmond drove in the second run with a fielder's choice groundout.
Jose Bautista halved the deficit with an RBI single in the bottom half, but Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the second.
Following Bautista's first-inning single, Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis retired 16 of 17 before the Blue Jays tied it in the sixth. Bautista drew a two-out walk and Encarnacion followed with a homer into the second deck, his fourth.
"I was surprised it stayed fair," Lewis said of Encarnacion's high drive. "Usually those balls go foul."
Lewis, who came in 3-6 with a 7.13 ERA in 10 starts against Toronto, allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked one and matched a season-high by striking out seven.
Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
LONG BALL BLUES
Of the 14 earned runs Lewis has allowed this season, 10 have scored on home runs. He has allowed eight homers in 38 innings, leaving him in a five-way tie for most in the majors.
CATCHING CAROUSEL
C Bobby Wilson, acquired in a trade with Detroit on Tuesday, made his first start since rejoining the Rangers. Texas optioned rookie C Brett Nicholas to Triple-A Round Rock and traded C Chris Gimenez to Cleveland for cash considerations.
TULO GOES LOWER
Gibbons moved the slumping Tulowitzki from fifth to sixth in the lineup. Tulowitzki went 0 for 4, dropping his average to .160
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: Minor league 3B Joey Gallo (left groin) is expected to miss three to four weeks. Gallo was batting .254 with seven homers and 16 RBIs at Triple-A Round Rock.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (3-1, 2.48) is 3-2 with a 5.15 ERA in eight career games against Toronto but 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three games at Rogers Centre.
Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (3-0, 2.76) has worked at least six innings and allowed three runs or fewer in all five starts this season. He was 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts against Texas last year.