Blue Jays 1 Ranger 0 (12 innings)
ARLINGTON, Texas — Brandon Drury led off the 12th inning with a single and eventually scored the game’s only run on pitcher Ariel Jurado’s throwing error as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 1-0 on Friday night in a game that featured two outstanding starting performances.
Drury and Teoscar Hernandez had consecutive singles to start the 12th off the fifth Texas pitcher before Danny Jansen’s sacrifice bunt hit right toward the mound. Jurado (0-1) fielded the ball and went for the lead runner, and Drury likely would have been out if not for the throw wide of third base that allowed him to instead go home.
Daniel Hudson (2-1) threw a scoreless 11th before Ken Giles struck out the side on 13 pitches in the 12th for his eighth save in nine chances. Six Toronto pitchers combined on a four-hitter for the team’s first shutout this season.
Rookie right-hander Trent Thornton limited Texas to one hit and struck out five in seven innings. But he again got no offensive support in trying to get his first big league win — Toronto has scored only five runs over his 35 1/3 innings in seven starts.
Rangers starter Mike Minor threw eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. The lefty was coming off a career-high 13 strikeouts in a win last Saturday at Seattle, and had thrown a three-hitter for his first career shutout in his previous home start April 15 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas, shut out for the first time this season, left the bases loaded in the 10th, after Elvis Andrus drove a double into the left-centre gap on the first pitch of the inning, and stranded two more in the 11th. They had only two runners left on the first nine innings.
Toronto got two singles in the ninth, including a one-out infield hit by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but reliever Chris Martin also struck out three. Pinch-hitter Billy McKinney drew a leadoff walk in the 10th against Shawn Kelly, but got stranded at third when Randal Grichuk struck out.
The only hit Texas got off Thornton was Nomar Mazara’s popup to shallow left leading off the fifth. Shortstop Freddy Galvis got turned around and the ball dropped beyond his glove when he made a final lunge in front of two outfielders. Mazara was out trying to go to second when left fielder Hernandez picked up the ball and threw him out.
Galvis had a two-out double in the eighth, but was thrown out when trying to score on Grichuk’s single as left fielder Joey Gallo’s throw easily beat him to the plate for the last out.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly (nerve tightness left arm) is set to come off the injured list to start Sunday. His last start was April 19. Manager Chris Woodward said Smyly threw a simulated game earlier this week and feels 100 per cent. … 1B Ronald Guzman (right hamstring strain) will start a rehab assignment Saturday with Double-A Frisco. Without setbacks, or unless needed sooner, he likely will rejoin the Rangers next Friday in Houston.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Lefty Thomas Pannone (1-2, 5.40 ERA) is expected to make his second start of the season. He hasn’t pitched since Sunday, when he made his ninth relief appearance with 1 2-3 innings against Oakland.
Rangers: RHP Lance Lynn (3-2, 5.45) has won three of his last four starts, but is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in four career games against Toronto.