ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Jung’s two-out single scored pinch runner Sam Haggerty in the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Tuesday night.
The Rangers’ second run scored when Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk threw into left field when attempting to pick Wyatt Langford off third base.
Six Texas pitchers held the Blue Jays to four hits, with Luke Jackson (1-4) pitching the eighth for the win and Robert Garcia pitching the ninth for his third save in four opportunities.
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi was removed after two innings as a precaution because of triceps fatigue. Eovaldi (4-3), third in the AL with a 1.56 ERA and a .185 opponents’ batting average, said he hopes to make his next scheduled start next Tuesday.
Eovaldi threw 39 pitches in two scoreless innings, allowing leadoff doubles to Bo Bichette and George Springer.
Jays starter Bowden Francis allowed three singles and one walk, leaving after a leadoff single in the sixth inning. Chad Green (1-1) was charged with one earned run in the eighth.
Both teams have had trouble scoring runs. Texas went in last in the AL with 183 runs. Toronto has scored four runs in its last five games, matching its fewest in such a span since August 1990.
The Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a fifth-inning walk, extending his on-base streak to 27 games. That’s the longest of Guerrero’s career and the longest current streak in the majors.
Key moment
Kirk’s throw to third as Jung stole second base.
Key stat
The Jays were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
Up next
Rangers RHP Tyler Mahle (5-2, 1.80), who has the AL’s fourth-best ERA, will start Wednesday’s rubber game of the series against Blue Jays rookie RHP Paxton Schultz (0-0, 2.53), who will make his first major league start.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Associated Press
