Hot Gomez helps Rangers pound Blue Jays
The Sports Xchange
Jun 22, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Carlos Gomez powered a home run barrage to lead the Texas Rangers to a series-splitting 11-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Park.
Texas (36-36) climbed back to .500 by snapping a two-game skid and splitting the four-game set with Toronto. The Rangers completed their homestand at 4-3.
The Blue Jays (35-37) dropped to 0-9 in games with a chance to get to .500 this season.
Gomez, Mike Napoli, and Robinson Chirinos each clubbed long balls off Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman, who dropped to 7-4 and lost for the first time in six road decisions this season. Gomez added another homer, a two-run shot, in the eighth to finish with five RBIs.
Texas starter Martin Perez wasn't sharp but enjoyed plenty of offensive support in improving to 4-6 after working six innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Perez is 4-0 this season when backed by at least three runs.
Perez was staked to a 7-0 lead through four innings. The Rangers got going in the first on Adrian Beltre's two-out double to left, scoring Elvis Andrus from first. The relay throw to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was dropped to negate a play at the plate.
Napoli got to Stroman an inning later with his 14th homer, an opposite-field blast to right to plate Gomez.
Stroman initially avoided giving up a fourth run in the third when Andrus was thrown out at the plate. With one out and the infield in, Beltre's chopper to third was fielded cleanly by Russell Martin, who gunned down Andrus.
Rougned Odor followed with a single before Gomez ripped a three-run bomb off the left-field foul pole. Chirinos had a solo shot in the fourth.
Stroman didn't come back out for the fifth.
Perez ran into trouble in fifth, as the Blue Jays scored four runs after two outs. The rally started when Dwight Smith was hit by a pitch. Luke Maile's double got Toronto on the board.
Hits from Martin and Kendrys Morales, with the bases loaded, pulled the visitors within three runs.
The Rangers head out on a 10-day, 10-game road trip starting Friday at the New York Yankees. Texas is 14-19 on the road.
Toronto completes its seven games on the road with three in Kansas City beginning Friday.
NOTES: Texas RHP Yu Darvish opens the upcoming 10-game road trip Friday at Yankee Stadium squaring off against RHP Masahiro Tanaka for the first time in the majors. The two did meet four times in Nippon Professional Baseball, with Darvish winning three of those matchups. ... Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson was scratched from the lineup less than an hour before the first pitch due to left knee soreness. He was slated to be the DH and bat third, but was replaced by Kendrys Morales, who was set to have a day off. ... Texas placed RHP Jeremy Jeffress (strained back) on the 10-day DL and called up RHP Preston Claiborne from Triple-A Round Rock. ... Toronto is 15-6 in Arlington since the start of 2013.
Jun 22, 2017
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Carlos Gomez powered a home run barrage to lead the Texas Rangers to a series-splitting 11-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Park.
Texas (36-36) climbed back to .500 by snapping a two-game skid and splitting the four-game set with Toronto. The Rangers completed their homestand at 4-3.
The Blue Jays (35-37) dropped to 0-9 in games with a chance to get to .500 this season.
Gomez, Mike Napoli, and Robinson Chirinos each clubbed long balls off Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman, who dropped to 7-4 and lost for the first time in six road decisions this season. Gomez added another homer, a two-run shot, in the eighth to finish with five RBIs.
Texas starter Martin Perez wasn't sharp but enjoyed plenty of offensive support in improving to 4-6 after working six innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Perez is 4-0 this season when backed by at least three runs.
Perez was staked to a 7-0 lead through four innings. The Rangers got going in the first on Adrian Beltre's two-out double to left, scoring Elvis Andrus from first. The relay throw to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was dropped to negate a play at the plate.
Napoli got to Stroman an inning later with his 14th homer, an opposite-field blast to right to plate Gomez.
Stroman initially avoided giving up a fourth run in the third when Andrus was thrown out at the plate. With one out and the infield in, Beltre's chopper to third was fielded cleanly by Russell Martin, who gunned down Andrus.
Rougned Odor followed with a single before Gomez ripped a three-run bomb off the left-field foul pole. Chirinos had a solo shot in the fourth.
Stroman didn't come back out for the fifth.
Perez ran into trouble in fifth, as the Blue Jays scored four runs after two outs. The rally started when Dwight Smith was hit by a pitch. Luke Maile's double got Toronto on the board.
Hits from Martin and Kendrys Morales, with the bases loaded, pulled the visitors within three runs.
The Rangers head out on a 10-day, 10-game road trip starting Friday at the New York Yankees. Texas is 14-19 on the road.
Toronto completes its seven games on the road with three in Kansas City beginning Friday.
NOTES: Texas RHP Yu Darvish opens the upcoming 10-game road trip Friday at Yankee Stadium squaring off against RHP Masahiro Tanaka for the first time in the majors. The two did meet four times in Nippon Professional Baseball, with Darvish winning three of those matchups. ... Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson was scratched from the lineup less than an hour before the first pitch due to left knee soreness. He was slated to be the DH and bat third, but was replaced by Kendrys Morales, who was set to have a day off. ... Texas placed RHP Jeremy Jeffress (strained back) on the 10-day DL and called up RHP Preston Claiborne from Triple-A Round Rock. ... Toronto is 15-6 in Arlington since the start of 2013.
