Blue Jays 6, Rangers 1
TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion keyed a four-run sixth inning with a two-run double and reliever Neil Wagner earned his first major-league win on Friday as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 6-1.
Melky Cabrera also hit a homer to lead off the fourth inning to tie the game 1-1 against Rangers right-hander Nick Tepesch (3-5).
Tepesch allowed five hits, two walks and six runs while striking out six in seven innings before a crowd of 36,010 at Rogers Centre.
The opener of a three-game series was the second win in a row for the Blue Jays (26-34) and the second consecutive loss for the Rangers (36-24) who lost two of three games to the Boston Red Sox this week at Fenway Park.
Blue Jays' right-hander Esmil Rogers did not factor in the decision in his second start after beginning the season in the bullpen. He held the Rangers to one run in four innings. One of the three hits he allowed was a run-scoring single by Adrian Beltre in the first that extended Beltre's hitting streak to 12 games.
Munenori Kawasaki was hit by a pitch to lead off the home sixth. Cabrera singled and Jose Bautista walked to load the bases. Encarnacion doubled to left-center to score two runs. Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia each hit sacrifice flies to increase the Blue Jays' lead to 5-1.
That was enough to make a winner of Wagner (1-0) who replaced left-hander Aaron Loup with two out in the top of the sixth. Wagner allowed one hit and struck out one in 1 1/3 innings.
It was his fifth outing since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo on May 29. The six previous major-league outings for the 29-year-old were with the Oakland A's in 2011.
The Blue Jays increased their lead to 6-1 in the seventh after a two-out single by Kawasaki, who scored from first when Cabrera singled on a 3-2 count. Cabrera was trapped between first and second to end the inning.
Left-hander Brett Cecil pitched the eighth and right-hander Steve Delabar the ninth for Toronto.
The Rangers led 1-0 after the first inning as they ended Rogers' string of 12 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Jurickson Profar singled with one out, moved to second on a balk and scored on a two-out single by Beltre.
Notes: Before the game, the Blue Jays recalled C Josh Thole from Triple-A Buffalo and purchased the contract of INF Andy LaRoche from Buffalo. OF Anthony Gose was returned to Buffalo on option and C Henry Blanco was designated for assignment. ... Rangers' 1B Chris McGuiness, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, made his major-league debut in Friday's game. ... With the series being played on artificial turf, Beltre is scheduled to be used as DH to protect his legs. ... Rangers' RF Nelson Cruz, who has had some hamstring issues, did not start on Friday to give him a rest but is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday and Sunday. ... RHP Yu Darvish (7-2, 2.77 earned-run average) will start for the Rangers on Saturday against Toronto LHP Mark Buehrle (2-4, 5.42 ERA).
